A feud is riling the town of Quartzsite in western Arizona.

The Town Council met Sunday in emergency session to beef up security after receiving death threats. A guard may be at Town Hall's front door this morning.

Mayor Ed Foster refused to participate in Sunday's council meeting, saying an agenda had not been posted, making the meeting secret and illegal.

Foster said the council had imposed martial law, but Vice Mayor Barbara Cowell said that does not accurately characterize the action. She added that the city attorney had condoned the meeting and that a recording of the session will be made accessible to the public today.

Quartzsite is a town of 3,600 people 17 miles east of the Colorado River on Interstate 10. The town is a popular recreational-vehicle destination and swells to tens of thousands in the winter as people are drawn to its rock and gem show.

Some time ago, the council raised water and sewer rates for the first time in 10 years, provoking anger among residents of its nearly 70 mobile-home parks. Council members since have fought off recall efforts.

One of the mayor's most vocal allies, civic activist Jennifer Jones, has been arrested on charges of disturbing the peace, has had restraining orders placed on her and has sued the town. A film of Jones' removal from a June 28 council meeting appears on YouTube.

Foster said Jones just tells council members things they don't want to hear.

The mayor has called Police Chief Jeff Gilbert "a thug." Foster said that he has gone to the offices of Gov. Jan Brewer and Attorney General Tom Horne about what he calls the "dictatorship" in Quartzsite but that he has gotten nowhere with state officials.

Gilbert could not be reached for comment Sunday.

Quartzsite's increased security is at the behest of the town's insurance carrier, Cowell said.

She defended Quartzsite's leaders, saying the town is under budget, is audited every year and is not the corrupt place the activists contend.

"Our people work so hard," she said. "We've had to cut back on staff . . . just to keep us solvent."