ROTTERDAM, NY (WRGB) — The elephant in the room could no longer be ignored as the Rotterdam City Council met for the first time on Wednesday night since council member Joe Mastroianni was accused of petit larceny, a misdemeanor.

Mastroianni, who was captured by a doorbell camera that appears to be taking political messages from a Scottish resident’s letterbox last month, has been the subject of heated calls for accountability, with some residents calling for him to resign.

Since the video surfaced, the city council has been pretty quiet on the matter.

Some in the community were hoping for a response from council members during Wednesday’s meeting.

However, only one council member directly addressed the issue.

“What happens with this situation is up to Joe, it’s in his heart,” Rotterdam City Council member Ronald Schlag said in Mastroianni’s defense.

“In my opinion, he only has one person to answer to, but I would never call for a person on this board to resign. That is entirely up to them,” he added.

Schlag was the only board member to acknowledge the situation surrounding Mastroianni.

“I have spoken to the lawyer and it is not a dismissal situation. That has to come from another level,” Schlag said.

Schlag described Mastroianni as someone who is deeply invested and dedicated to his community.

“We are all sinners. We all make mistakes. The best thing we can do is ask for a little forgiveness,” Schlag said.

The video of Mastroianni’s ringing, followed by the subsequent misdemeanor charge, sparked strong opinions, with many saying it was about integrity and trust. It prompted some residents to call for his resignation from the city council.

“How about Joe, when are you leaving? When are you leaving the city council? You turned yourself in, you committed mail theft. When are you going to leave the city council? The city council deserves integrity,” Rotterdam resident Brenda Torosian said during public comment.

Some left the meeting disappointed that several council members did not speak.

“I thought there would be more discussion about whether or not Joe Mastroianni would resign. He must answer the charges,” said Frank Natalie, who lives in Rotterdam.

“What I feel is that he is an unreliable representative of the people,” he added.

CBS6’s BRIANA SUPARDI: “How do you think only one council member addressed his views on the situation?”

FRANK NATALIE: “Well, I think it’s party politics. This is an all Republican board. They are supporting one of their own members.”

After the meeting, CBS6 asked Mastroianni for comment, but he said he could not provide any at this time.