A volunteer member of the city's utilities committee accused of making racist comments at a recent meeting has resigned.

Commissioners wanted Steve Wade to step down because of controversial comments he made during a September 4th city budget hearing.

Wade tried to make a link between the breakdown of the family and gang violence. He singled out the mostly black Northwest part of Lakeland.

"Not just with the gangs but with a culture that has really, really gone backwards. Almost like ah, they are going backwards almost like animals," he said during the meeting.

Wade apologized last week for using the word "animals" but mostly stood by his comments.