How often does your Hamilton city councillor show up for meetings?

Hamilton city councillors have been missing in action an average of 13 per cent of the time this term.

But one city councillor says he hopes a proposed electronic voting system for the coming term will improve attendance.

New numbers obtained by CBC show attendance rates at council and committee meetings have varied since the start of the current term in 2015. 

Some councillors, such as Sam Merulla and Maria Pearson, miss fewer than five meetings a year. Others are absent from meetings nearly one-fifth of the time.

"This term has probably been one of the worst in my two decades on council," said Merulla, who missed one meeting last year. 

As for why, "I have no idea. All I know is it's never been this bad."

One caution around the attendance numbers is that councillors who do show up for council and committee meetings don't have to stay. If they're there at the start of the meeting, they're counted as present. If they leave 30 minutes into it, there's no real way to record it.

Individual councillor votes usually aren't even recorded in meeting minutes — just who moved and seconded a motion and the end result.

But they could be counted more than that. On Aug. 29, city council's governance review subcommittee will vote on how to use a new electronic voting system capable of recording their every decision.

"The (subcommittee) will be deciding on when they will be using it to cast their electronic vote … just when a recorded vote is requested, for all votes, for votes other than procedural matters, etc.," said acting clerk Janet Pilon.​

Here's how individual councillors measured up this term, from December 2015 to present day.

What meetings count in the total

There are five major committees of council: general issues, planning, public works, healthy and safe communities and audit, finance and administration. Every councillor sits on a minimum of three, as well as the board of health. City council eventually ratifies every decision, but most debates happen at committees. So while council is the splashiest affair, committee meetings are just as important.

These aren't the only meetings councillors attend. They meet with constituents and neighbourhood associations, and serve on community boards such as conservation authorities and CityHousing Hamilton. They also serve on city hall subcommittees such as municipal heritage, status of women, etc. These numbers do not include attendance at those meetings.

How the councillors measure up

Mayor Fred Eisenberger: Of the 281 meetings Eisenberger had this term, he missed 38, or 14 per cent. The mayor can sit in on any meeting, but only three count toward his attendance record — city council, general issues committee and board of health. He sits on 14 subcommittees, one advisory committee and two boards, including the Hamilton Police Services board. He also represents Hamilton on external boards. This includes the Alectra Utilities board, for which he is paid extra.

Aidan Johnson (Ward 1): Johnson, who isn't running in the Oct. 22 municipal election, pulled his weight. Of the 463 meetings scheduled this term, he missed 34, or 7 per cent. Johnson also served on more committees than most councillors, sitting on every one but public works. In 2016, he even chaired one committee and was vice-chair of two. He also served on 10 subcommittees, five boards and three advisory committees.

Jason Farr (Ward 2): Of the 400 meetings scheduled, Farr missed 39, or 10 per cent, which is somewhere around the middle of the pack. Farr served on three committees, as well as 12 subcommittees and four boards. 

Matthew Green (Ward 3): Of the 405 meetings scheduled, Green missed 38, or 9 per cent. He served on three committees, as well as 10 subcommittees, six advisory committees and four boards. Green missed the most meetings (13) in 2016, when his first child was born. Green is not running again.

Sam Merulla (Ward 4): Merulla has the highest attendance rate on council. Of 391 meetings, he missed 12, or 3 per cent. He served on three committees, 14 subcommittees, three boards and one advisory committee. In 2017, he missed one meeting. This year, he missed three, mostly due to a death in his family.

Chad Collins (Ward 5): Collins has one of the best attendance records on council. Of 487 meetings, he's missed 18, or 4 per cent. He served on four committees, 10 subcommittees, two advisory committees and two boards. He also serves as president of CityHousing Hamilton.

Tom Jackson (Ward 6): Jackson has been a councillor for 30 years, but he's clearly not tired of meetings yet. Of the 391 scheduled this term, he missed 29, or 7 per cent. He serves on three committees, five subcommittees, two advisory committees and two boards. 

Donna Skelly (Ward 7): There's only one full year of data for Skelly. She was elected in a byelection midway through 2016, and left in June 2018 to become an MPP. In 2017, though, she served on all but one committee and had perfect attendance. She made it to 130 of 130 meetings.

Terry Whitehead (Ward 8): Whitehead missed 18 per cent of his meetings this term, or 71 of 396. He sits on three committees, 20 subcommittees, three boards (including the Hamilton Police Services board) and one advisory committee.

Doug Conley (Ward 9): Conley started his term strong, missing only three meetings in 2015. The next year, he missed nine, then 11 in 2017 and 17 so far this year. Overall, he's missed about 10 per cent this term, or 40 of 420. He sits on three committees, 15 subcommittees, seven boards and three advisory committees.

Maria Pearson (Ward 10): Pearson ties with Merulla for the best attendance record on council. Of 418 meetings, she's missed 13, or three per cent. She sat on three committees, 15 subcommittees and four boards.

Brenda Johnson (Ward 11): Of 418 meetings this term, Johnson missed 76, or 18 per cent. She served on three boards, nine subcommittees, two boards and two advisory committees.

Lloyd Ferguson (Ward 12): Of 404 meetings, Ferguson missed 77, or 19 per cent. He served on three committees, 16 subcommittees, three boards (he chairs the police services board) and one advisory committee. Ferguson missed the most meetings last year (25), some after the death of his wife of 44 years.

Arlene VanderBeek (Ward 13): VanderBeek missed 15 per cent of her meetings, or 61 of 398. She sits on three committees, seven subcommittees, five boards and two advisory committees.

Robert Pasuta (Ward 14): Pasuta has missed the most meetings of any councillor. Of 451, he's missed 203, or 45 per cent. He was off for more than six months in 2017 recovering from a pair of farm injuries, although his absences were on the high end at other times too — 24 in 2015, 52 in 2016 and 24 so far this year. Merulla and Pasuta actually had a tense moment over this late last year. Pasuta isn't running again, and told local media he's not that interested in urban issues.

Judi Partridge (Ward 15): Of 405 meetings, Partridge missed 60, or 15 per cent. She sat on three committees, 20 subcommittees and two boards.

In order, from highest attendance rate to lowest, by percentage:

• Sam Merulla, Maria Pearson.
• Chad Collins.
• Tom Jackson, Aidan Johnson.
• Matthew Green.
• Jason Farr, Doug Conley.
• Fred Eisenberger.
• Judi Partridge, Arlene VanderBeek.
• Terry Whitehead, Brenda Johnson.
• Lloyd Ferguson.
• Robert Pasuta.