Council not forcing resignation

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- A split City Council rejected a resolution Wednesday that called for the mayor to resign following his arrest last week on charges he roughed up his girlfriend after a concert.\nThe council voted 4-3 against the resolution seeking Mayor Dennis Redick's resignation. Those wanting Redick to leave office say he has embarrassed the community, but the mayor showed no signs of backing down.\n"I have never considered resigning, nor will I ever resign," Redick said.\nThe council does not have the legal authority to force the mayor from office, and Councilman Terry Busby said it was not appropriate to ask for Redick's resignation.\n"If the mayor is found guilty in court, then that's a whole new issue," Busby said. "But right now, we're asked by the other council members to serve as prosecutor, judge, jury and executioner."\nThe council's vote came the day after the head of the Hamilton County Republican Party said Redick should drop his re-election campaign and that party leaders would support a Republican candidate running as an independent if he stayed in the race.\nRedick has been mayor of the city in Indianapolis' northern suburbs since 1995. He won the Republican nomination in the May primary by 10 votes over City Council President Rex Dillinger, who was among the council members seeking Redick's resignation.\nSheriff's deputies arrested Redick on charges he grabbed his girlfriend's neck and pushed her onto the hood of a car after a Jimmy Buffett concert at Verizon Wireless Music Center just north of Indianapolis.\nRedick says he is innocent of the allegations. His girlfriend, Sylvia Clemons, said in a statement Tuesday that she began hitting Redick after they got into an argument. Clemons said Redick tried to restrain her by grabbing her wrists and pushing them against her chest.\n"This apparently left the impression that his hands were around my neck, which was not the case," Clemons said.\nRedick faces a Dec. 4 trial on misdemeanor charges of battery and domestic battery.