A Chatham-Kent councillor is seeking increased accountability from elected officials when it comes to their attendance on municipal committees.
Ward 5 Councillor Carmen McGregor presented a notice of motion during Monday’s council meeting, asking administration to draft a report that would create attendance policies and procedures for councillors who sit on committees and boards.
“Regular attendance of council-appointed committee and board meetings is important for accountability, continuity, effective governance, and the ability of those bodies to carry out their mandates,” McGregor said during the meeting.
The motion comes in the wake of an article written by The Chatham Voice, which details the current term’s attendance record of each council member who sits on a committee, such as the Public Utilities Commission or the Police Services Board.
While not all committees have updated their meeting minutes, The Voice found that some councillors had an impeccable attendance record. However, some did not.
Several councillors, such as Marjorie Crew, Melissa Harrigan, Brock McGregor, and Carmen McGregor, all had stellar attendance records of 85 per cent or higher this term for their respective committees.
At the other end of the spectrum was Councillor Michael Bondy.
Bondy sits on the Lower Thames Valley Conservation Authority (LTVCA) board and the Municipal Heritage Committee. He has not attended a single LTVCA meeting this term, and he has only attended three of the 35 heritage committee meetings. Bondy does have perfect attendance as a member of the Encampment Advisory Committee, however, the committee was recently created and only began holding meetings in March 2026.
In her notice of motion, Councillor McGregor noted that the Municipal Act establishes attendance requirements for councillors when it comes to council meetings, but it does not provide “equivalent consequences” for not attending committee and board meetings.
“Consistent attendance supports transparency to residents, respect for the work of committees and boards, and the effective use of municipal and community volunteer time,” she said.
McGregor’s motion will be presented for council consideration at a future meeting. If the motion is approved, the report from administration would be presented to the next term of council for review.