How hard-working is your city councillor? (From York Press)

How hard-working is your city councillor?

10:12am Friday 10th August 2007

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THE Press today reveals how "hard-working" your councillor is.

City of York Council's own records - just released - detail how many meetings councillors were expected to attend between mid-February and early-August this year.

Depending on the position they hold within the council, some councillors have only had to attend a handful of meetings, while others have had as many as 54.

Councillors with low attendance rates include Richard Cregan, who represents Hull Road ward. Out of the 14 meetings he was expected to attend he made it to only eight - a percentage of 57 per cent.

Of the councillors who served up to the recent elections, but then stood down or were not re-elected, the worst attendee was Alan Jones, who did not make it to any of the six council meetings he was expected to attend while representing Clifton.

But Coun Cregan said his attendance record has been skewed by the fact he has been ill for the last three weeks and signed off work.

He said that because of this he had missed his first full council meeting in 12 years, but that in the past he had had some of the best attendance records.

Other former Councillors with low attendance rates include Mark Waudby with 50 per cent and Viv Kind and Martin Lancelot, both on 60 per cent.

Mrs Kind said in the last year her attendance was low because of work commitments, but over the past 12 years she had one of the highest attendance rates.

She said meetings put huge pressure on people's lives.

"They are every week and they are not always at the most convenient times if you are working or have caring commitments - you are having to fit your council commitments in between those other things.

"The main thing for me is that as well as working I'm a foster carer and the kids deserve to have someone around in the evenings and almost all of the council meetings I was on were from 5pm onwards."

But many councillors have been to every meeting they were expected to and include Coun James Alexander, council leader Steve Galloway and Coun Dave Taylor. Another top performing councillor is Ann Reid. Although she does not have the highest percentage, with 91 per cent, she has had the highest number of meetings where she was expected to be there at 54. Out of those 54 she made it to 49 of them.

Coun Reid said: "I think that people do expect their councillors to attend meetings of the committees they have been appointed to serve and I do my best to attend all the relevant meetings that I can.

"But attending meetings is only the tip of the iceberg. What does take up time is work in the wards and residents' meetings which are not included in the council's figures. There are lots and lots of other things that members are supposed to do in their wards as elected members."

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