Next council item — any apologies?
Meeting attendance records for Far North District councillors over the four months to February were something of a mixed bag, ranging from 100 per cent to 36 per cent.
Some councillors, however, have questioned the validity of the figures, prepared for the Governance and Strategic Relationships Committee, saying they include a large number of workshops with council staff but not other events they attend in their own time.
Mayor John Carter and first term councillor Kelly Stratford were the most reliable attendees at council meetings, committee meetings and workshops over the four months, both recording 100 per cent. At the other end of the scale, Cr Dave Hookway attended 36 per cent, Cr Mate Radich 39 per cent and Cr Sally Macauley 40 per cent.
The other councillors’ scores were John Vujcich 94 per cent, Ann Court and Felicity Foy 93 per cent, deputy Mayor Tania McInnes 86 per cent, and Colin Kitchen 71 per cent.
Averaged over the eight months to February, the figures are Kelly Stratford 98 per cent, John Vujcich 93 per cent, John Carter and Ann Court 92 per cent, Tania McInnes 88 per cent, Felicity Foy 85 per cent, Colin Kitchen 81 per cent, Sally Macauley 58 per cent, Dave Hookway 44 per cent, and Mate Radich 39 per cent.
Cr Hookway questioned the figures, however, saying he had attended as many council and committee meetings as he could.
The figures did not include other meetings he attended, such as those of the council’s Disability Action Group, or events he attended over weekends.
“I think it’s a rather spurious way of trying to represent elected members’ diligence,” he said, adding that he had to balance his council role with a full-time job, but that did not mean he was any less committed.
Cr Macauley also disputed the figures, saying she had attended all council and committee meetings, and took part in many community events. She had missed some workshops because they were called at short notice or clashed with her role as chair of the Northland DHB.
“Just because you’re not at a meeting doesn’t mean you’re not doing your work. It’s not what goes on in the boardroom, it’s what goes on outside that matters,” she said.
Cr Radich said he regularly took part in meetings by video conference from Kaitaia to cut travel costs, but that was apparently not counted as attendance.
“What people need to understand is that last year’s travelling expenses for the Mayor and councillors were $92,000,” he added.
The attendance report covered regular council and committee meetings, as well as 10 workshops between November and February, which accounted for most of the apologies.
There was also one extraordinary council meeting in that period.