Most municipal councillors here had good attendance records in 2009, but absenteeism was up by about 6% overall last year, which is somewhat surprising considering the municipal election is scheduled for this fall.
The Wellington Advertiser surveyed all seven lower tier municipalities in Wellington County for attendance at regularly scheduled council meetings in 2009.
Of 39 councillors in seven municipalities, eight had perfect attendance (21%), down from 17 councillors in 2008. Twenty-eight councillors (72%) missed between one and three meetings, up from 19 in 2008. And three councillors (7%) missed four or more meetings; unchanged from 2008.
Councillor Roger Knapp, of Guelph-Eramosa Township, missed eight of 22 regular 2009 council meetings (36%) – more than any other councillor in the county for the third year in a row.
Knapp also missed all seven of the township’s special council meetings, which raises his overall absences to 15 in 29 meetings (52%); again, by far the highest rate in the county.
Knapp told the Advertiser he again found it hard in 2009 to attend all council meetings due to “personal and economic” circumstances. He explained numerous business commitments – his paving company is employed across Canada – were compounded last year by the recession.
“It’s just been tough,”?he said.
When asked if he plans to seek re-election in the fall, Knapp replied, “I don’t think so,” but stressed he has not yet made a final decision.
Guelph-Eramosa
In total, Guelph-Eramosa council had 11 combined absences in 22 meetings, for an absenteeism rate of 10%. That gives the township the worst mark in the county for the third year in a row, although in 2009 – as in years past – that is largely the result of Knapp’s eight absences.
Mayor Chris White and councillors Doug Breen and Reta Moyer had perfect attendance at regular meetings and councillor John Scott missed three (13.6%).
Minto
Minto council had 13 total absences in 21 meetings. While that total is higher than Guelph-Eramosa’s, Minto has seven councillors – two more than Guelph-Eramosa – meaning its absenteeism rate is actually second highest in the county, at around 8.8%.
Councillor David Turton missed four meetings (19%), Mayor David Anderson and councillors Tammy Reiner and Rick Hembly each missed two, and Deputy-mayor Judy Dirksen and councillors Wayne Martin and Barbara Burrows missed one each.
Wellington North
Over 28 regular council meetings last year, Wellington North council had 11 absences, for an absenteeism rate of about 7.8%.
Councillor John Matusinec had four (14%), councillor Bob Mason had three, Mayor Mike Broomhead had two and councillors Dan Yake and Ross Chaulk had one each.
Centre Wellington
The township had seven absences in 14 regular council meetings in 2009, for an absenteeism rate of 7.1% (seven councillors).
It should be noted Centre Wellington usually holds just one regular council meeting per month, while other municipalities host at least two. Centre Wellington also holds about one committee of the whole (COW) meeting every month.
In total, the township held 26 meetings last year, with combined absences totalling 23 (16 absentees in 12 COW meetings), for an overall absenteeism rate of about 12.6%.
Councillor Robert Foster missed two regular meetings or 14.3% (three COW meetings), councillor Ron Hallman missed one regular meeting (five COW meetings), councillor Fred Morris missed one council meeting (four COW meetings), councillor Shawn Watters missed one regular meeting (two COW meetings), councillors Walt Visser and Kirk McElwain missed one council meeting each (and one COW meeting) and Mayor Joanne Ross-Zuj had perfect attendance at regular council and COW meetings.
Considering both council and COW meetings, Hallman missed 23.1% of meetings, Morris and Foster missed 19.2%, Watters missed 11.5%, and Visser and McElwain missed 7.7%.
Mapleton
Over 20 regular meetings, Mapleton councillors had seven combined absences, for an absenteeism rate of 7%.
Councillor Bruce Whale had three absences (15%), councillor Jim Curry had two, Mayor John Green and councillor Dennis Craven had one absence each and councillor Mike Downey had none.
Erin
During 22 regular meetings last year, Erin council had six combined absences, for an absenteeism rate of about 5.4%.
Councillor Ken Chapman missed three regular meetings (13.6%), while Mayor Rod Finnie and councillors Barb Tocher and John Brennan each missed one meeting, and councillor Josie Wintersinger had perfect attendance.
Puslinch
Puslinch council had four combined absences over 24 regular council meetings in the 2009 calendar year, for an absenteeism rate of just 3.3%.
Councillor Susan Fielding missed two meetings (8.3%), councillor Dick Visser and Mayor Brad Whitcombe each missed one, and councillors Matthew Bulmer and Don McKay had perfect attendance.
County council
The 16 members of Wellington County council also had good attendance records over the 10 regular meetings in 2009.
Councillors Lou Maieron, Brad Whitcombe and Lynda White all missed two county meetings, while David Anderson and Robert Wilson missed one and the rest of council had perfect attendance.
