ARTICLE: Attendance Matters Because Commitment Matters
By Clarissa Nolde | Published in Clark-Garwood Patch, September 21, 2022
As a teacher, I know that attendance at school is closely tied to success at school. Those students who have excellent attendance get better grades and have better academic outcomes than those students who are chronically absent. I model good attendance, showing my students day after day that I will be there for them. Elected officials should also aim for near-perfect attendance at all required meetings and events. The public deserves elected officials who will make every effort to do his or her best and that means showing up not only to meetings but also to complete all the required training which is paid for by the taxpayers.
The record shows that Mr. Napolitano, who is running for Council on the Republican ticket, has an attendance rate of 50% to all meetings of the Planning Board to which he is a member (Jan. 2019- the present). Just 50%! In addition, Councilwoman Salmon, who is running on the Republican ticket for Mayor, did not complete the training offered by the League of Municipalities for newly elected officials. These trainings serve to educate new Council members on the roles and responsibilities of public office. The classes cover such important topics as State laws pertaining to elected officials, labor laws, ethics, and how municipal budgets work. My running mates, Council President Blumenstock and Councilman Lazarow attended these sessions when they were first elected to make sure they were fully educated on the many complexities of serving as an elected official. If I am so honored to be elected to Garwood Council, I would be eager to attend training in order to be fully prepared to execute my duties as a councilperson. I furthermore pledge to model excellent attendance. This is what the public deserves. There are times when one has a legitimate reason to miss a meeting or other commitment, but these times should be the exception and not the rule.