Meeting attendance system' inaccurate'
City councillors say the current system of recording their attendance at meetings does not reflect the time and effort they put in.
Yesterday, the Mercury published the attendance rate of all 54 members from May last year, using information on the authority's website.
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A number of councillors have said the statistics are either incorrect or give an unfair picture.
Deputy mayor councillor Rory Palmer said he would now be looking to get the system altered.
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He was listed as being expected at 40 meetings between May and October and attended 34.
He said: "This figure accounts for less than 20 per cent of the meetings I have attended. They are just a fraction of the work done.
"The meetings recorded are very selective and I will be looking to get it changed."
Liberal Democrat councillor for Aylestone, Nigel Porter, has contacted officers to say the council's website lists him as being a member of the audit and risk committee, adult social care and housing scrutiny commission, heritage, leisure and sport scrutiny and licensing enforcement sub-committee.
He says he does not sit on any of these, so his 62 per cent attendance rate is inaccurate.
He said: "The information is out of date and it is just wrong."
Comments
by Bob491
Saturday, October 13 2012, 9:10PM
“Quote: "I bet thses officers are being paid a bomb and are not doing their work properly"
Please state your evidence for this comment vanip, and if you have none you should apologise and withdraw your comment.”
by 4_Stroke
Saturday, October 13 2012, 7:11PM
“LikeItaLot....Why has it taken this issue to raise the issue of internal reporting problems. It must have been visible to them prior to the report. We need to know what we are paying for and how much effort is being put in.”
by janwildgrant
Saturday, October 13 2012, 5:11PM
“I think most councillors are caring and conscientious, and very hard working. Don't criticise unless you've been in that position yourself.”
by LikeItaLot
Saturday, October 13 2012, 4:21PM
“Eastonian, you are right on your comments about attendence at scheduled meetings, goes without saying. But "What is there to alter or amend?. Where people are credited as members of a group when they are not.”
by Eastonian
Saturday, October 13 2012, 4:05PM
“This really has nothing to do with the "time and effort" put in. Councillors either attend meetings and claim their attendance allowance or they are absent and do not. What is there to alter or amend?!!”
by georgedixon
Saturday, October 13 2012, 4:00PM
“The Mercury published the information.assembled from Council figures/information.That was Friday,so one would assume said councillors were aware prior to publication .So what doae Palmer propose now?Surely any Councillor can debate the work they have done in the press/internet, including illness or whatever reasons ,for their actions.
Or do we go for a cover up ?”
by vanip
Saturday, October 13 2012, 12:56PM
“I say sack those who are updating this information on the web site I bet thses officers are being paid a bomb and are not doing their work properly”
by democrat
Saturday, October 13 2012, 12:46PM
“If the figures are wrong they should be corrected
This story reveals the laziness of Councillors or the ineptitude of civil servants - not sure which one is worse”
by LikeItaLot
Saturday, October 13 2012, 12:24PM
“4_stroke, If the report is factually incorrect then it needs to be corrected. You can not criticise someone for not attending a committee if they are not on it. Fairness cuts both ways”
by georgedixon
Saturday, October 13 2012, 9:43AM
“Is this not a case of "the lunatics are ruling the asylum " ?”