I noted an article in the Toronto Star this morning which listed the percentage of votes our City politicians missed at Council last year. Our own Ward 6 Councillor Mark Grimes, is listed in the bottom 10, having missed 24.1% of votes, according to the article. At the bottom of the list is Ron Moeser, who, as the article points out, is ill with cancer, and the colourful Giorgio Mammoliti, who missed a whopping 38.8% of votes. At the top end of the spectrum, Gord Perks and Frances Nunziata didn’t miss a single vote. Not one. Several others missed only a negligible percentage of votes.

I know that City Council sessions can be long and tedious but that’s the nature of the job, isn’t it? All these politicians knew that going in. No doubt attendance is not the only measure of the effectiveness of our municipal leaders. It’s just a basic requirement. I think it is reasonable to expect our representatives to show up and engage and vote on our behalf – AND take care of all the other requirements of the job along the way.