UPDATE:

Jeff Wieler submitted a letter of resignation to council members Saturday night in the wake of his controversial comments on Facebook.

Wieler wrote:

"It is with regret that I tender my resignation from the position of Mayor, effective as of 12:01 a.m. on Sunday, August 27, 2017. I realize my continuation in the position is no longer tenable for the City Council. After a quarter century of volunteering for Piedmont in various roles, I regret the impact this has had upon the City I love and the men and women in the staff who do such a find job for our citizens. My thanks to them and you for the support I have been shown throughout my time on the City Council and as Mayor. I am proud of what I accomplished as a civic volunteer. I am less proud of how my service as Mayor is ending."

In another statement, Wieler stated:

"Our August 21 City Council meeting was a very difficult meeting for me and I'm sure for others. By this time, I assure most everybody in Piedmont knows I made some inappropriate Facebook posts. The bulk of these posts were reprints or links to articles that dealt with political issues our Council doesn't deal with, and some posts had titles or comments by me that were inflammatory or insulting. I especially regret and apologize for certain items that did not pertain to national politics. I'm not going to try to justify myself, because that would be impossible."

"The country is going through a very difficult period. We have a president who has coarsened the national dialogue and made many people feel insulted. No matter what you think of his policies and programs, this is a reality that I and many other Republicans are coming to acknowledge. Perhaps we're too slow to do so, but sometimes it takes a while to pound things into our thick skulls. The last council meeting was a salutary effort at pounding the point home to me. I've also had two weeks to contemplate the reaction many good people in our town have had to what I posted."

"Most residents know Piedmont has become a very liberal city, and Republicans here are a vanishing element. While other folks do not agree with some policies that we favor, I like to think we share similar values, even though we may see different roads toward realizing our shared values. That will often be the case in democracy, and politics should work on the principles of compromise and persuasion, and honest debate."

"I learned the hard way that one says on Facebook can come back to haunt you, and civility is essential. Jokes and comments may easily offend others."

"As Mayor, I recognize that although I am just one of five council members who decide on issues, I understand that people demand more from their Mayor. When I speak about issues, I speak for myself and not the other members of the City Council or the city staff, but Mayors serve as symbols. I deeply regret the sad fact that I dragged the other members of the Council and City Staff into this mess through no fault - or desire -- of their own. I apologize to them."

"I also apologize to the citizens of Piedmont. I want to make clear that I loathe and despise white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and racists. I loathe and despise them all and think they are un-American. I also loathe and despise violence because it leads to tragedies like the death of Heather Heyer."

"I have received email from citizens saying I have made them or their families feel unsafe. I have also heard from conservatives who also feel unsafe and unable to express their views. I may be over-optimistic, but perhaps wiser heads than I can figure out ways to get these two groups talking to one another. As County Supervisor Keith Carson said in a Piedmonter opinion piece: 'Most importantly, we must listen and hear what the other person in the conversation is saying. We must try to understand before we respond. Reopening honest constructive conversation is the first step to rebuilding what this administration is set on destroying' I can not agree more."

"I'm not sure people understand that I want to put this embarrassing and painful episode behind me, and regain some respect. I apologize deeply for the pain I've caused. I've learned a great deal from this, and experience can be a painful teacher. Going forward, I will restrict my Facebook posts to pictures of our pets and vacation pictures. Fortunately, I've never tweeted!"

ORIGINAL STORY:

Jeff Wieler, the mayor of the affluent East Bay city of Piedmont, came under fire this week over Facebook posts expressing opinions on "lefties," transgender people and the Black Lives Matter movement, among other topics.

At a council meeting on Aug. 21, city resident Conna McCarthy read some of Wieler's more inflammatory alleged comments aloud, including "Black Lives Matter encourages cop killing," "Democrats are the plantation slave masters of today," and "Transgenders are mentally ill."

"This has been a very painful half hour for me as I'm sure people can imagine," Wieler said at the meeting.

Now the City Council is considering his removal, the agenda for an upcoming meeting says.

ALSO: Anti-semitic incidents raise concerns at Piedmont High School

At a special session Monday at 7 p.m., the council will vote on removing Wieler as mayor by rescinding the resolution electing him, which was passed unanimously by the five-member council on Dec. 5, 2016.

Councilwoman Teddy King and two other council members requested the meeting, King said in a statement.

"This is a challenging and heart breaking moment in our city," she wrote.

Wieler's term on the City Council ends November 2018, according to the city website. He did not immediately return a request for comment.

Filipa Ioannou is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at fioannou@sfchronicle.com and visit her on Twitter.