The Capinteria city council did not take well to the arrest of one of its members. At their council meeting last night, the members approved a motion that stripped Councilman Joe Armendariz of his committee assignments, banned him from driving for city business, and asked him to resign.

Had they had the power to remove him, they likely would have. But as an elected member of the council, only voters can take him out of office. A future recall is questionable, as members of the community voiced their willingness to separate his personal failures from him public duties. Some people spoke against the former while praising the latter.

However, no one comes to the defense of his decision to get behind the wheel of his car with a blood alcohol level that was proven to be .018.

Armendariz has already announced his intention to not seek reelection after his term expires, however, that didn’t keep the Council for calling for his resignation.

From NoozHawk.com:

The Carpinteria City Council stripped City Councilman Joe Armendariz of his committee assignments, publicly reprimanded him for his conduct and asked him to resign after it passed a resolution Monday night. The motion passed 3-1, withCouncilwoman Kathleen Reddington dissenting.

The City Council doesn’t have the power to remove Armendariz from his seat; he can only be taken out by the voters. The process is similar to a ballot initiative, with a petition and signatures required to be considered for an election.

Read the full article here.