Thomas Culhaven is the ancestor of the founding fathers of Culhaven, Illinois, and he won't go down without a fight He may be a senior citizen, but when Mayor Mort Cramden and his illustrious council get ambitious, it is Tom's land on the line. The mayor has suggested the construction of a superhighway that will connect Culhaven to the nearest big city. It sounds like a fine idea, but not to Tom, whose house will be demolished in the process.
In an effort to stop the inevitable, Tom attends the town meeting to debate the mayor's modern idea-but old Tom has something up his sleeve. He's been working to think of a plan, with the aid of his dog, Bud-a pet nobody else can see or hear. With their foolproof plan in mind, Tom pleads sensibly with Cramden one last time. When the mayor refuses to cooperate, Tom does what has to be done: he cuts off half the mayor's mustache.
Tom is thrown in jail but soon released on two hundred dollars bail. Once free, he realizes his simple scissorsnip has become big news. Apparently, the town sees it as symbolism. Of what, Tom isn't sure, but his harebrained scheme might just work and save his old home. "The Mayor's Mustache" is a commentary on corporate greed and the desperation of old age, but it is also a story of small-town hope and the power of one man to change an entire community.