Maitland Councilman Phil Bonus resigns

Phil Bonus has resigned from the Maitland City Council as of Thursday afternoon, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Bonus resigns a week after his name was found on a client list of an east Orange County brothel, and following a DUI arrest from September 2011 that became public shortly after. The Sentinel reports Bonus dropped off a letter of his resignation Thursday afternoon.

The city and Bonus did not immediately return requests for comment Thursday night.

Maitland Mayor Howard Schieferdecker and a handful of residents called for Bonus' resignation at the Maitland City Council meeting Monday, Oct. 8.

"We all make mistakes that sit here, we all fall short but in this case is affects the city, and in this case we have to do what's best to help the city heal," Schieferdecker said.

At the meeting, the Council members voted to remove Bonus from the position of Vice Mayor, naming Councilwoman Bev Reponen in his place. The Council had no power to remove Bonus as he hadn't been convicted a crime, and instead urged Bonus to resign on his own.

On Wednesday, Bonus resigned from his position of president-elect of the Maitland Chamber of Commerce.