Campaign-season electioneering usually is left behind when city commissioners do city business.

But not Tuesday night.

During the Lawrence City Commission meeting, Commissioner Marty Kennedy took a political swipe at Commissioner Mike Rundle, who is campaigning for re-election.

Kennedy, who leaves office in April, criticized Rundle’s vote against allowing Home Depot to open early. The commission approved the action 3-2, with Rundle and Commissioner David Dunfield opposing.

Rundle’s commission votes, Kennedy said, don’t match his campaign stands in favor of economic development.

“Commissioner Rundle has consistently voted against any type of commercial business development in our community,” he said.

“Jobs are not on his priority,” Kennedy said. “They are on his campaign issue, but they are not on his priority as he votes at the City Commission.”

Rundle interrupted: “Mayor, are we campaigning here?”

Before Mayor Sue Hack could say anything, Kennedy responded, “I’m making a statement.”

“Try and keep it to Home Depot,” Hack told Kennedy.

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When Kennedy finished, Rundle responded.

“I think you’re quite mistaken that I’ve voted against everything commercial,” he told Kennedy. “And I hope you’ll eat those words.”

After the meeting, Kennedy said he wasn’t worried that he might have breached the commission’s unwritten decorum rules by bringing campaign issues to the bench.

He said Rundle showed a consistent anti-business attitude with votes against tax abatements. Most recently, Rundle was the lone opponent of an 80 percent tax abatement for pharmaceutical company Serologicals.

“I believe his campaign is full of rhetoric,” Kennedy said. “His votes are different from what his campaign issues say his position is.”

Rundle was angry after the meeting. He said he’s voted against commercial developments when he believed they violated city rules. And he said he has voted for the occasional tax abatement — most notably for API Foils and Sauer-Danfoss in the late 1990s.

“Marty’s comments about my voting record are patently false,” Rundle said. “Following the city’s established procedures is not business unfriendly.”

“The other thing is, he crossed over a line,” he said. “We’re in a political season, and there are certain things you don’t talk about on that side of the desk.”

Mayor Sue Hack was clearly uncomfortable with campaign debate being brought into the commission meeting.

“That’s why I asked that the conversation be brought back to Home Depot,” she said after the meeting.

But such politicking may not be finished.

“I will question most of his votes,” Kennedy said, “from now until I leave the commission.”