Poteet City Council Removes Indicted Mayor From Office
POSTED: Monday, September 29, 2008
UPDATED: 6:57 am CDT September 30,
2008
POTEET, Texas -- Mayor Lino Donato, indicted and arrested last week on charges he had improper contact with a child, was removed from his position Monday evening by the Poteet City Council.
The council voted to vacate Donato's position,as he had not been to three consecutive meetings without an excused absence. Donato was already on probation after pleading guilty less than a year ago to similar charges.
Donato's conviction and subsequent sex offender registration prevented him from attending council meetings as Poteet's City Hall is located within 1,000 feet of a place where children regularly assemble.
Poteet is located about 30 miles south of San Antonio.
The position was not filled by the City Council at the special meeting, but councilmembers said they would discuss their options and were hopeful a resolution to the now-open position could be figured out by the council's next scheduled meeting.
Donato was released Monday afternoon after posting a $200,000 bond, according to the Atascosa County Sheriff's Department.
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