Mayor resigns after her derogatory comment about police

Under fire for using the word “pigs” when referring to police, the mayor of the Treasure Coast city of Stuart, Eula Clarke, has resigned her post.

Despite Clarke’s resignation Wednesday night, Stuart’s saga is not over. City officials voted to launch an investigation into her remarks.

Tom Campenni will step in as the city’s new mayor.

“Please accept my apology. Thank you,” said Clarke, who was both the mayor and city commissioner. She apologized at a special city commission meeting Wednesday evening, causing a crowd to applause loudly and some give her a standing ovation.

Clarke, who had just taken over as mayor of Stuart in December, is giving up her job title but will remain on the city commission. Each city commissioner takes a turn serving as mayor, and in December it was Clarke’s turn.

“It is with great sadness that I step down as mayor of Stuart because of my actions,” she told the crowd.

Her decision comes after a firestorm of controversy.

Clarke walked into a convenience store last month where a Stuart police officer was inside and she said to the clerk: “I didn’t know we were serving pig tonight.”

“You better start backing your police department. You don’t need to make comments like that! You should be ashamed of yourself!” said one man who went to the podium and spoke during the meeting.

A standing-room only crowd filled the commission chambers, many in support of Clarke.

“She has been a remarkable person in this community,” said a woman who spoke at the podium.

But city commissioners voted 4-1 to bring in an outside attorney to investigate if there is a pattern