Roll Call! City Aldermen
[Michael O'Connor, Kelly Russell, Mayor Randy McClement, Donna Kuzemchak, Josh Bokee, Phil Dacey; photo courtesy City of Frederick website]
Frederick’s City Hall doesn’t maintain cumulative workshop or public hearing attendance records for the board of aldermen, but thanks to the efforts of a volunteer – verified by The Frederick Extra – you can find out who’s got the best and worst attendance records for the past three years.
In addition to missed meetings and workshops, the volunteer tracked the number of times aldermen were late by combing through the minutes of each workshop and public hearing.
The mayor and board of aldermen meet for weekly workshops and bimonthly public hearings, where official business of the city is conducted, including votes taken and actions formalized.
The tallies date from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 1, 2016, were culled from individual meeting records available on the city’s website. Records from April and May of 2015 are unavailable.
Alderman Kelly Russell (D) missed three workshops in 2014, and has had a perfect attendance record since, giving her the best attendance record among her colleagues. Russell also has the distinction of coming in late the second most often, 11 times in three years, but mostly because overlapping city-related meetings.
Russell is President Pro Tem, and presides over meetings in the mayor’s absence. Now in her second term as alderman, she is running for a third term.
Second best attendance record goes to Alderman Michael O’Connor (D.) In three years, the two-term alderman missed three workshops and one public hearing, and was never late.
O’Connor announced he’s running for mayor in January. So far, he’s pitted against former mayor Jennifer Dougherty in the Democratic primary race.
Alderman Donna Kuzemchak (D) missed nine workshops and three public hearings in three years, and was late three times. Kuzemchak, serving a fourth term as alderman, has the most experience of her colleagues. She, too, filed to run for reelection.
Fellow Democrat Alderman Josh Bokee missed 13 workshops and three public hearings; he was late 16 times. Alderman Phil Dacey (R) struggled the most, missing 31 workshops and five public hearings. Dacey was reported late 21 times.
The city holds roughly 50 workshops and 20 public hearings a year. With about 150 workshops and 60 public hearings to attend over three years, this board of aldermen didn’t fare so badly.
