Mayor Marv Teixeira has made a serious mistake and there's no question he'll pay for it.
That will come through the legal system if he is found guilty of drunken driving, of course, but the most important forfeiture will be his credibility.
It will be difficult for the mayor to lead the city through some of its most pressing problems, one of which is substance abuse. Leaders are and should be held to a higher standard. They are role models, whether they like it or not. And when they fail, the consequences are heavy.
Now we'd like to hear what he will do to rebuild that credibility.
Should the mayor resign? In our view, the answer is no. He cares passionately about this city and has done a great deal for its betterment. The arrest is a blemish on the mayor and on the city, but it does not mean he cannot continue to be a charismatic and effective leader.
It is also important to remember that both our president and vice president were arrested for drunken driving, and we all know how well they did in Nevada. Nor were voters deterred last November from electing a candidate to the school board who had been arrested three times for drunken driving.
But the mayor doesn't need anyone to make excuses for his actions. He made a mistake and he stands ready to face the consequences. In the short term, that may come through the legal system. But most significantly, that will come from voters.
They can choose to wait for the next election, in which, the mayor has said, he intends to run for one more term.