PORT RICHEY, Fla. — The Vice Mayor of the City of Port Richey apologized for comments he made during a city council meeting on July 8.
“I mean, I'm seeing a lot of Latinos flipping houses out there. They are buying them cheap; they are buying flooded houses,” said Chris Maher in that meeting. “Contractor is not going to catch it because he's a Latino guy working under the table.”
WATCH: Florida official apologizes for comment deemed inappropriate
Tuesday at 6 p.m. was the first Port Richey City Council meeting since Maher made comments that sparked outrage in the community.
“I called out one ethnicity on 4 or 5 different times,” said Chris Maher, Vice Mayor of Port Richey. “If at any time that came across as negative or disparaging in any way what so ever. I do want to help the community here, the city, residents, and those who call this their home and I just want to say I am sorry.”
Maher said, “There was never a time or place to have any sort of prejudice towards any ethnicity.”
Victims identified from Sunday shooting outside Clearwater sports bar
Officials said the incident happened just before 8 p.m. on Dec. 7 when multiple calls came in about gunfire near the South Highland Avenue business.
