WATCH: Get the latest news on DPTV with Molly Hughes

Female Aurora City Council members initiated a no-confidence vote in Manager Skip Noe because of what they say is his lack of respect of women on the council.

Councilwoman Barb Cleland asked that the measure go before the full council for consideration during Monday’s meeting. Five female members endorsed the measure, but five others and the mayor thwarted the proposal, which needed a two-thirds vote for consideration.

Cleland and others say Noe doesn’t treat all the members with equal respect. Councilwoman Sally Mounier, who also wanted the no-confidence vote, went a step farther.

“Maybe nine months or so ago, I had a one-on-one with him, and I told Skip there are four votes against you on the City Council. You’ve got a problem with women,” Mounier told The Denver Post on Tuesday.

Some of the women say he is condescending and has yelled at them during conversations about city issues.

Noe said claims that he treats women differently than men are unfounded. He said that in his 40 years in government, he has worked successfully with women in all aspects of his duties.

“I’ve never had an issue or concern in terms of working effectively with women across the board,” he said.

The no-confidence vote was nonbinding, so it would not have carried any discipline and was only to renounce Noe’s performance.

But it did reveal a split among council members not seen in a while in Aurora. Noe is credited with bringing new business to Aurora and navigating the city successfully through years of budget cuts because of the downturn in the economy.

“It’s unprecedented,” said first-term Councilwoman Debi Hunter Holen, the only female who snubbed the no-confidence vote. “I am trying everything I have to not react emotionally about it. I’m angry that they felt it was necessary to do something like that.”

Noe’s future with the city started coming into question in recent days. Cleland said she wanted to have an executive-session discussion behind closed doors Tuesday to ask Noe to retire. She would have needed six votes for that; she got only five. So Monday night she asked that a vote-of-no-confidence measure be placed on the regular City Council agenda, which she failed to get.

“I personally would like to see the man retire, but I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Cleland said.

Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan said he was aware of the issue surrounding his city manager and council. He was disappointed some chose to make the matter public, saying it should have been handled internally or behind closed doors in executive session.

He doesn’t think the matter needs to be debated immediately because of the passion people on both sides feel and because the failed no-confidence vote might have disappointed some.

“In my opinion, the best thing to do is for everybody to step back, go to respective corners and cool off a bit,” Hogan said. “People need to cool off. I can’t say that enough.”

Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175, cillescas@denverpost.com or twitter.com/cillescasdp