MORRISVILLE - Mayor Jan Faulkner says she made a mistake when she proclaimed herself to be the first woman elected as mayor of this town.

Margaret Broadwell, however, said the mayor's momentary memory lapse amounts to a blatant misrepresentation of the facts.

Broadwell, who is seeking election this fall in Morrisville's District 4, became the town's first woman elected to the mayor's seat when she defeated former commissioner Billy Sauls in November 1995.

But Faulkner's Web site, faulknerformayor.com, said that Faulkner herself holds that distinction. Broadwell discovered the error last week.

The mistake has been corrected. And Faulkner apologized to Broadwell.

"I was in disbelief," Broadwell said. "... She certainly knows that I was elected."

Broadwell and Faulkner campaigned together in 1997, when Broadwell sought re-election for mayor against Gordon Cromwell. At the time, Faulkner was making a first run at a commissioner's seat.

Faulkner said she thought Broadwell had been appointed mayor, although she was unable to confirm that notion with the Wake County Board of Elections. The mayor said she apologized to Broadwell last week and quickly corrected her error.

"It was a mistake, and I told her that," Faulkner said. "It doesn't make any difference to me. If she was the first, then good for her. I just want to make sure that what I put up on the Web is accurate."