In a unanimous and decisive move Sunday, the San Antonio City Council dealt a blow to one of their own, Marc Whyte, a District 10 council member, reprimanding him with a vote of censure following his DWI arrest last December. While the council's action sends a symbolic message of disapproval, it stops short of imposing any formal penalties on the embattled councilman, who recused himself from the censure vote.
Whyte, still awaiting the results from his blood alcohol test that will play its part in the court hearing scheduled for the end of January, had been stripped of his committee assignments—a move that Mayor Ron Nirenberg has not indicated would be reversed anytime soon which speaks to the severity the council places on public trust and integrity, as reported by the MSN.
"What I've learned from this is that priorities are important, and for me it's serving the constituents of District 10. It's my family and my faith. And moving forward, I'm going to focus refocus on those priorities," Whyte addressed the council, assuring them that his mistake from December 29 would not be repeated, as stated by the San Antonio Report.
While the city waits for the legal proceedings to unfold, public perception has already sustained a hit from the body camera footage released, showing a seemingly sober Whyte insisting on walking home rather than driving, adding complexity to the story. Yet, Nirenberg, the city's mayor, didn't speculate on the councilman's perceived state. Instead, he emphasized the responsibility they all share. "We are linked as members of the City Council, and it's our duty to protect that reputation," as stated by MSN.
