RACINE - City officials have begun discussions about removing disgraced Mayor Gary Becker from office.

Becker, who was arrested Tuesday at a meeting he reportedly arranged with a fictitious 14-year-old girl, faces five felony charges.

He is free on bond while waiting to defend himself on charges of attempted sexual assault of a child under 16 years old, child enticement, possession of child pornography and more.

Friday morning, City Administrator Ben Hughes, City Attorney Rob Weber and acting mayor David Maack met to discuss removing Becker from office in case he does not resign, Hughes and Maack said.

At Maack's request, they called an Executive Committee meeting for 5:30 p.m. Tuesday. The single agenda item is "reviewing procedures and related items concerning the possible removal from office of Mayor Gary Becker." The meeting will be held at City Hall, 730 Washington Ave., Room 205.

"I thought it prudent to do at this point," said Maack.

As he saw it, the city had three options. One was to do nothing, and a second was for Becker to resign.

"No. 3, we remove him."

Late Friday afternoon Becker's lawyer, Pat Cafferty, when asked if Becker was planning to resign, said there was no news to report.

The Executive Committee consists of the mayor, the chairman of each standing committee, the Council president and the alderman at large.

Hughes said the city is consulting with the State Board of Elections to make sure officials here follow the law in the process of potentially removing Becker, should he not resign.

"Obviously, we're in some uncharted waters here," he said.

By Tuesday, Hughes noted, it will be seven days since Becker's arrest, and said it will be appropriate to start talking about options. "We're preparing as though he's not going to be around," Hughes said.

Any recommendation the committee might make that day, such as directing staff to start working on the removal process, could not go to the City Council until Feb. 3 at the earliest.

Removing Becker would require a someone who is a city resident and city taxpayer to file a written complaint asserting the mayor is unfit to hold office, Hughes and Maack said. As of Friday, that had not yet happened, but an alderman could take that step, Alderman Greg Helding noted.

The removal process requires notifying Becker and setting up a due-process hearing where the City Council would look at grounds for removal, Maack said.

Meanwhile, Friday the Racine County Republican Party called for Becker to resign. Party Chairman Bill Folk issued a news release that stated in part, "Since the district attorney has decided to file criminal charges, the Racine County Republican Party calls on the mayor to resign and allow the city the right to move forward while he defends himself in this criminal case.

"While the community may be bigger than one person, the actions of the mayor reflect on the city of Racine," Folk said. "Mayor Becker should resign so that Racine's reputation is not further tarnished."