Piedmont Mayor To Continue Serving On City Council Despite Resignation
PIEDMONT (CBS SF) – While Piedmont Mayor Jeff Wieler has resigned from his post following an outcry about controversial social media posts he made about transgender people and Democrats, he will continue to serve on the city council, City Administrator Paul Benoit said Monday.
Wieler plans to stay on the Piedmont City Council until his term expires in November 2018, Benoit said.
Wieler couldn't immediately be reached for comment.
The Piedmont City Council had been scheduled to have a special meeting tonight to consider removing him as mayor but the meeting has been canceled, according to Benoit.
Vice Mayor Bob McBain is now Piedmont's acting mayor and the council will vote next week to elect a new mayor and vice mayor, Benoit said.
In a letter to Benoit and fellow councilmembers on Sunday, Wieler said, "It is with regret that I tender my resignation from the position of mayor."
Wieler said, "I realize my continuing in the position is no longer tenable for the City Council. After a quarter-century of volunteering, I regret the impact this has had upon the city I love and the men and women on the staff who do such a fine job for our citizens."
He said, "I am proud of what I accomplished as a civic volunteer. I am less proud of how my service as mayor is ending."
Benoit said city offices were swamped with angry emails and phone calls after the contents of Wieler's social media postings, which have since been removed, were made public.
Benoit said, "The Piedmont community reacted quickly and unequivocally."
In Piedmont, mayors, whose roles are largely ceremonial, aren't elected directly by voters but instead are appointed by fellow council members.
Benoit said the City Council doesn't have the power to remove Wieler from office, so if community members want him out, they will have to conduct a recall campaign against him.
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