On Thursday, Feb. 1, the San Antonio City Council voted 8-2 to adopt a new code of ethics — the first in the council’s history. According to the San Antonio Express-News, this historic vote came just 16 days after the council reprimanded Councilman Marc Whyte, who was charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI), after he was pulled over by San Antonio Police Department, who proceeded to conduct three sobriety tests that ultimately led to his arrest.
Additionally, Marc Whyte’s District 10 predecessor, Clayton Perry, was represented by the defense attorney Whyte retained after Perry “drunkenly crashed into a car and fled the scene in late 2022.”
In the United States, drunk driving is an epidemic that claims the lives of thousands each year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, on average, 37 people are killed every day in drunk-driving-related incidents. Additionally, approximately 31% of all traffic crash fatalities involve at least one drunk driver.
This reprimand was the latest of three over the past 15 months, ultimately leading to the council adopting the code. The new code of conduct outlines that council members are prohibited from having sexual relations with staff and disclosing confidential information to lobbyists. Additionally, they cannot blindly copy outside parties on internal emails concerning city business, and they are also required to treat their coworkers and constituents with respect. The code also outlines how council members are supposed to hold fellow council members accountable to the code.
This code is the first step the council must take to ensure that its members are held accountable. The fact that there has been not one but two separate instances where a council member has been arrested and charged with a DWI is unacceptable. It is time for our city’s leaders to sober up and hold themselves to the highest standards when it comes to their conduct.
