Atlantic Beach Mayor Retha Pierce plans to hold a concerned citizens meeting Thursday night at Nora Lener’s Restaurant on 31st Avenue. This comes after authorities arrested and booked Pierce last Thursday for DUI in Marion County.
However some residents like Nicole Cruz said that they have already made up their minds and that she would like to have the mayor removed.
“Maybe the first time she got in trouble that I would I think was a slap on the wrist,” said Cruz, “but now drinking and driving I have a child and what if she would've hit me when she was drinking and driving you know god knows what it could have escalated to it could have been worst, it could have been anybody not just me."
Atlantic Beach resident John Sketers said he is disappointed in the way a town that he once worked for is getting a bad reputation.
The former town council member also said that the town’s image is getting worse as its current mayor keeps getting into trouble with the law.
"I don't think she could care about Atlantic Beach the way I do because this is home for me,” said Sketers, “I have no place else to go so therefore it's unfortunate that our top people in our top leadership position conduct themselves that way."
Last week a judge granted Pierce a personal recognizance but Pierce kept insisting that she hadn't done anything wrong.
"I'm not guilty of what I was arrested for I don't drink, I don't take drugs I don't use drugs, deal with drugs in any way so if you're not guilty of any of that that's what you would say is a false arrest," explained Pierce.
Tuesday night Atlantic Beach town council voted to send a resolution to Governor Sanford for him to remove the mayor from office, but that's something only the governor can do in South Carolina.
Pierce’s DUI arrest last week was just the most-recent of a number of run-ins with the law.
Three other past incidents include charges of trespassing inside Atlantic Beach town hall, resisting arrest at a traffic stop and leaving the scene of a hit and run.
"We don't like the way that this person has conducted themselves as our top leader in our community so I think it's up to us to prove that we are not like this that is not us representing Atlantic Beach," said Sketers.
While Pierce has been arrested several times, she has not been convicted of any of the charges.
News 13 attempted to get an on camera interview with some members of the town's council but they said that because they work for the mayor, they are unable to say anything at all.
Thursday night’s meeting will begin at 7pm.
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