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Four city alders had perfect attendance this past year. Four others missed more than a third of their committee meetings at City Hall.
That’s final tally for 2013, as recorded by the the Office of Legislative Services.
A full dozen alders made it to every single meeting of the full Board of Alders. And four of those alders — Beaver Hills’ Brian Wingate, Wooster Square’s Mike Smart, and the Hill’s Dolores Colon and Jorge Perez — also had perfect attendance at their committee meetings.
Twelve aldermen had perfect attendance at full board meetings: Alders Wingate, Smart, Perez, Colon, Al Paolillo, Doug Hausladen, Tyisha Walker, Jessica Holmes, Justin Elicker, Sal DeCola, Claudette Robinson-Thorpe and Santiago Berrios-Bones, who joined the board mid-term.
Wingate (left) made it to all his meetings.
Only two aldermen had less than 80 percent attendance at full board meetings: Fair Haven’s Ernie Santiago and West Rock’s Carlton Staggers. Their excuses: work and basketball-playing daughters, respectively.
The other alders with the lowest attendance records aren’t on the board anymore.
Colon had perfect attendance.
Overall, the board collectively had a 93 percent attendance rate at full board meetings, and an 83 percent rate at committee meetings. Click here for a spreadsheet prepared by the legislative services.
Alders are typically assigned to two or three committees, which are where most of the working of crafting new laws takes place. Committees are the forum for public hearings, fact-gathering, discussion. In committee meetings, alders hammer out the details of new proposals then pass them on to the full board for a vote. Full board meetings feature far less discussion; the full board very rarely goes against a recommendation coming out of committee.
All but five alders made it to at least 70 percent of their committee meetings. Four of those five — all but Staggers — are no longer alders.
• Upper Westville Alder Sergio Rodriguez, who wrestled with health problems in 2013, made it to 60 percent. After an unsuccessful bid to become city clerk, Rodriguez is now working for the state Department of Education.
• Quinnipiac Meadows Alder Marc Stopa was at 59 percent of his assigned committee meetings. Stopa didn’t run for reelection after taking a job reviewing contracts for a federal agency.
• Hill Alder Jackie James attended exactly half of her committee meetings. James has been appointed as the city’s deputy head of community services.
• Newhallville/Prospect Hill Alder Alfreda Edwards made it to 45 percent of her committee meetings. She didn’t run for reelection.
• Staggers made it to just 35 percent of his committee meetings. He was assigned to two committees: Human Services and Youth Services. He missed all five Human Services meetings and made it to three of six Youth Services meetings. He was one of 10 alders appointed to a special committee on ward redistricting, and didn’t attend the committee’s one meeting.
The committees with the worst attendance problems were Aldermanic Affairs/Tax Abatement, Aldermanic Affairs and Human Services. The chart shows the overall rate of attendance for all the committees.
Staggers didn’t make it to Thursday night’s full meeting of the Board of Alders. Reached by phone afterward, he said he was at a high school basketball game, supporting his twin sophomore daughters who play for Career.
Staggers said he misses many meetings “because during basketball season, I don’t miss most of their games.” Staggers said his fatherly obligations take precedence over aldermanic duties. “I’m at a game now.”
Staggers said it was halftime; Career was up by 10 points over Guilford, 33 to 23.
Basketball games kept Staggers away from not just committee meetings but full board meetings as well. While Edwards had the lowest board meeting attendance rate — 55 percent — Staggers was second to last, at 77 percent. He shared that ranking with Santiago.
“I was working late,” Santiago (pictured) explained Thursday night. He said he drives a recycling truck in West Haven. “I have to pay my bills.”
“Now it’s different,” Santiago said. His schedule has changed, which will allow him to attend more meetings, he said. “You’ll see the improvement this year.”
Santiago said he also coaches soccer, softball, and basketball at St. Francis and St. Rose of Lima School.
If this was a paid full time position, people would show up. I have been pushing this for years.