In a weekly newsletter sent from her office on Friday, City Councilwoman Myrtle Cole declined to call on Mayor Bob Filner to resign over sexual harassment allegations.
Seven of the nine councilmembers have stated publicly that the mayor should step down, leaving only Cole and City Councilwoman Marti Emerald on Filner's side.
"I stated to the community and to the media that I wanted any and all women to feel safe and free to come forward and report sexual abuse and/or workplace abuse," Cole wrote in her newsletter. "This is a major part of due process. As due process is occurring, the Mayor announced that he is seeking professional help to address his problems associated with his treatment of females in and out of the workplace.
"I am pleased that women feel safe to come forward and I am pleased the Mayor is entering into professional treatment to address his problems.
"As a woman, I am deeply saddened by the allegations against him, and my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families.
"Let me be clear--I have no tolerance for sexual harassment or workplace abuse, and as I’ve stated prior, I encourage any and all individuals that have experienced any harassment in the government or private sector to come forward and begin the due process immediately."
Cole was endorsed by Filner during her recent campaign to fill the empty District 4 council seat.
