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La Marque residents demand mayor's resignation
Residents demanded the La Marque mayor resign after he was arrested over the weekend and charged with indecent exposure. FOX 26's Jillian Hartmann was at the meeting and has the latest reactions.
LA MARQUE, Texas - Several La Marque residents are calling for Mayor Keith Bell to resign following his arrest. He's accused of indecent exposure in Brazoria County.
La Marque residents calling on mayor to resign following recent arrest for indecent exposure
What we know:
Monday night marked the first La Marque City Council meeting since Bell’s arrest. The meeting was packed with residents. During public comment, several residents confronted Bell directly and called on him to step down.
"You need to resign, and you need to resign right now. We are fed up with you. We are totally fed up with you," one resident said.
Another resident told Bell, "I would love for you to resign. You should not be here. We have women and children that are seeing this, and you are not what La Marque stands for anymore."
Others urged the community to allow the legal process to play out. Several people said they have known Bell for years and do not believe he would do what he is accused of.
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The backstory:
Bell, 53, was arrested Friday morning after Brazoria County deputies responded to a call at a business in Angleton.
According to the complaint, a woman told investigators she walked into an office lobby and saw Bell exposed and performing an indecent act while sitting in a chair.
Bell was taken into custody and released Saturday on a $75,000 bond.
According to the complaint, Bell denied the allegations and told investigators he was at the business looking for job opportunities.
What they're saying:
After public comment Monday night, Bell briefly addressed the crowd.
"Just like that, we got through this together," Bell said. "I want to certainly thank you, every one of you for every comment made. Every one of them was heard and every one of them will be taken into consideration by our council."
The City of La Marque previously called the allegations "shocking and disheartening" in a social media post and said city officials are evaluating their next steps.
The city said that under its charter, Bell will remain in office unless he chooses to resign or is removed through the proper legal process.
FOX 26 also learned that a La Marque City Council member filed an ethics complaint against Bell following his arrest.
The Source: Public comment made at La Marque City Council meeting on Monday.