A £600 bill for an oak table for Haslemere Town Council chamber developed into a political spat when the cost was queried at last week's finance and general purposes committee.
Barbara Jeffers quizzed mayor Michael Barnes over the expenditure after it was revealed that it was bought from a shop owned by the mayor's wife.
Shown in the town council's monthly accounts as an amount paid to Haslemere Antique, Liberal Democrat town councillor Mrs Jeffers said she was "surprised" that there had been no discussion about the purchase of the table.
She challenged Mr Barnes and said" "the purchase was not a matter of urgency and one in which he had a pecuniary interest."
Referring to the upper limit of £600 put on items of expenditure before full town council approval is required, chairman Stephen Mulliner said it would be "a waste of time if everything had to be approved".
Mr Barnes denied he had any financial interest in his wife's business and defended the purchase of the table, which he later described as a 20th century copy of an 18th century style oak refectory table.
"I have an interest but not a pecuniary interest," he told town councillors.
Bought to provide a more suitable table for council business, replacing a smaller table now used as a press table, he told town councillors that it was worth far more, at between £1,000 and £2,000.
"It would be a considerable asset to the council were it ever to be sold," he said.
"If we had had a proper debate I don't think it would invalidate the point that has been made," said Mrs Jeffers.