ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester City Council voted Tuesday night to strike down a proposed attendance requirement that would have docked pay for members who miss meetings.
News10NBC’s Tom Kowalski was at City Hall for the vote. The council amended a resolution about salaries, removing a clause that would have required members to attend meetings to receive their pay. This means council members will still be paid even if they miss meetings.
Councilmember Mitch Gruber, who heads the Budget, Finance and Governance Committee, was one of two members who voted against removing the attendance requirement.
“I submitted legislation earlier this month simply to try to make sure that council members were treated the same way as every employee of City Hall,” Gruber said after Tuesday’s Council meeting. “… That prevents us from being able to set our own salaries and ensures that we have an attendance policy so that people don’t get paid if they don’t show up to work.”
Gruber has been pushing for an attendance mandate since at least the previous meeting two weeks ago. He also proposed an independent commission to determine salaries of elected leaders. Only the commission proposal passed Tuesday night.
“Unfortunately, tonight, the attendance policy was stripped out, so we now have an independent commission to set salaries, which I’m fully supportive of,” Gruber said. “But sadly, the majority of my colleagues stripped (it) of the attendance policy, which would prevent us from getting what I proposed to prevent us from being paid if people don’t show up and don’t notify the rest of the body.”
During the meeting, Councilmember Michael Patterson said he understood Gruber’s concern but preferred Council members take responsibility on their own.
“Nevertheless, even though this has occurred in the past, in my time on council, it has not been a significant and regular occurrence,” Patterson said.
Councilmember Mary Lupien suggested the council consider allowing remote attendance via Zoom, similar to other legislative bodies in Monroe County and the Rochester City School District.
“I strongly encourage us to consider that as a policy so that we can increase the not just the notice, but actual attendance, which is what I think we all want,” Lupien said.
The attendance policy has been sent back to committee for reworking. It’s not clear when it will return to City Council.
City Council strikes down attendance-requirement proposal WHEC.com.
Hence then, the article about city council strikes down attendance requirement proposal was published today ( ) and is available on News10NBC ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( City Council strikes down attendance-requirement proposal )
Also on site :