The Detroit City Council on Tuesday called for the resignation of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who is being investigated over an alleged affair he swore under oath he did not have. He quickly rejected the request.
The resolution, passed 7-1, amounted to a "no-confidence" vote because the council lacks the power to force Kilpatrick to step down.
Mayoral spokeswoman Denise Tolliver said Kilpatrick has no intention of quitting.
"City Council, according to the charter, is free to pass nonbinding resolutions. However while certain members have been playing judge and jury in the court of public opinion, Mayor Kilpatrick has continued to stay focused on advancing bold initiatives such as his economic stimulus package," Tolliver said in a statement.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is investigating whether the mayor and former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty lied under oath when they testified in a whistle-blowers' lawsuit that they had not had a physical relationship. Kilpatrick has been dogged by media reports about steamy text messages the two exchanged that suggest a romantic relationship.
Kilpatrick also has been criticized for using a racially charged word during a recent speech.
The lone vote against the resolution was cast by president pro tem Monica Conyers, the wife of U.S. Rep. John Conyers. One councilwoman was absent because of illness.
