Essex mayor fed up with cellphones at council meetings
McDermott will formally bring issue up on Aug. 21, knowing it’ll be ‘can of worms’
Essex Mayor Ron McDermott is calling out councillors who use their cellphones during council meetings, saying some are even posting to Facebook instead of focusing on council business.
“The bottom line is hey, do your job as a council member and get the hell off Facebook during the meeting,” McDermott said. “It’s getting way out of hand.” McDermott said there is a code of conduct, passed by councillors in 2016, that is not being followed.
“We don’t follow our own rules,” he said. “You’re supposed to put it on the table. Put it on vibrate. If you get an emergency call, deal with it. Pick it up (and leave the room).
“And hey, don’t be fooling around on Facebook like one of our council members does constantly and I’ve got the proof,” McDermott said.
The mayor would not name the councillor and would not describe the proof he possesses. He said he’s going to bring the issue up at the next council meeting on Aug. 21.
“Boy oh boy, and am I ever going to open up a can of worms.”
Coun. Sherry Bondy said she disagrees with how McDermott is handling the issue and suggests the mayor approach councillors individually if he objects to how they’re using their cellphones.
“I think there could be times when that code is being violated,” Bondy said. “He has complained about cellphones off and on for a while but if there’s an individual council member that is being disruptive, then go to that person and say this is not working.”
Bondy said she uses her iPad and her cellphone to access council agendas and to pull up screenshots of information that is “in direct reference to the council meeting.”
She said she does not post to Facebook during meetings, but rather posts after meetings, often a couple of days later, to communicate with residents.
“I always do an update (on) what we do at council,” Bondy said.
McDermott was upset Wednesday morning after listening to comments on a local radio talk show that included the show’s host chiding him for his stand on cellphone use. He claims the host also referred to him as an old man.
McDermott said councillors texting and using social media during council meetings is distracting and he doesn’t believe that they can also be listening to what’s going in the meeting at the same time.
He said he has the right as mayor to restrict cellphones in council chambers but he’s not at that point — yet.
“Maybe we need to go that far one day,” he said. “But right now it’s follow our own rules.”
Bondy said she texts her children’s babysitter during meetings, which are unpredictable and can last hours, to put herself at ease and her family at ease.
“It’s kind of up to each individual council member to run their council business as they see fit,” Bondy said. “Yes, I don’t think we should be interrupting council meetings. Whatever we’re doing needs to be respectful.”
“This really is not the issue that Essex town council should be focusing on,” she added. “This is just a little ridiculous.”