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Councilman attends first meeting in six months
(by Kathryn A. Burger - September 16, 2008)
Councilman Gerard Maughan attended the mayor and council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 9, his first since March 4.
As reported in July, Mayor Donald Ruschman said Maughan’s absences up to that time had been and would continue to be excused.
Maughan said at that time that he was self-employed and business obligations required that he spend the work-week in Kansas City; he returned home on weekends.
Procedurally, the borough is required to track members’ attendance at council meetings. State statute allows the governing body to declare a place on the council vacant if a member fails to attend any meetings for eight consecutive weeks unless a majority of the members excuses the absences. However, the statute does not specify if or how the governing body’s decision to excuse a chronically absent member must be memorialized. There had been no public vote nor resolution passed affirming the majority opinion that allowed Maughan to serve in absentia.
In July, Maughan said in a telephone interview that he hoped to be able to change his schedule so that he could attend some meetings, perhaps as early as July 22. “It’s my responsibility to be at meetings,” he said.
Contacted by phone on Sept. 8 and asked when he might next attend a council meeting, he said he would be at the meeting the following night, and that he had “rearranged his travel schedule so that I can attend meetings on a regular basis.”
Kathryn A. Burger's e-mail address is burger@northjersey.com.
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