It seems like every small Missouri town is known for something. About a month ago, residents of Valley Park, Missouri were preparing for the worst flooding ever from the Meramec River. In addition, the small town of Valley Park made big headlines last year.

"I've heard us called racist bigots and all those types of things," says former Valley Park mayor Jeffery Whitteaker. "We've probably been criticized of anything and everything that you could possibly dream of."

After he helped pass an illegal immigration ordinance, things really started to heat up in Valley Park. The ordinance in short prohibits hiring or renting property to illegal immigrants. However a new mayor took office last week, and he is trying to put out the fire.

"I've always felt there's been a certain disconnect between city hall and the public," mayor Grant Young said. "Meaning that on issues, the public is sometimes not consulted."

As a longtime resident and business owner in Valley Park mayor Grant Young did not run for office to fight the immigration battle, but he has inherited the immigration debate.

"Currently we face four lawsuits related to the immigration issue," Young says.

Lawsuits that are costing the city a bundle.

"Publicly, the city will admit to spending in excess of $250,000 in the legal fight so far," Young says.

Tim Cross works in Valley Park and has watched the debate unravel.

"I don't mind anyone coming into our country," Cross said. "If they want to play by our rules."

"We've had a lot of noise about very little," said Glenn Koenen. "Valley Park never had that many people of Hispanic decent or any other foreign nationality. I think at most we had a couple hundred people out of a population that's close to 7,000."

What happened to the people who were forced to leave the town?

"A number of the families that lacked documentation left town," Koenen says. "We know of a family where the husband and wife had been born in the United States. They left town because the climate they felt was so anti-Hispanic, that it wasn't safe to be here."

It is safe to say people in Valley Park stand on both sides of the track.

"They don't want to learn English, so they don't have to," Cross said. "It's ridiculous. We're being shut out of our own country."

"Its cast really a hard shadow over Valley Park, because it makes everyone who lives and works down here look like they are buying into this idea that immigrants are causing problems, that illegal immigration is a major problem and that's not the truth," Koenen says.

With 4 lawsuits still pending, and the board's refusal to negotiate or drop the ordinance, this is one controversy that will continue to play out on the streets and in the courtroom.

In the April election, the new mayor beat the old mayor by a two to one margin. It looks like Valley Park is ready for a breath of fresh air. Mayor Young says he hopes the town can move past the immigration issue and on to dealing with city sewers and local levees.