Boycott, absences lead to lack of quorum at Racine Common Council meeting

From The Journal Times.com:

Holly Gilvary

RACINE — Common Council did not have its meeting Tuesday because it failed to achieve a two-thirds quorum.

Eight of the council's 14 alders did not attend the meeting, including alders David Maack and Cinthia Esqueda, who had excused absences; and six alders who boycotted: Jeff Coe, Olivia Turquoise Davis, Melissa Kaprelian, Sandy Weidner, Henry Perez and Cory Sebastian.

In a news release Sept. 27, the boycotting alders said they are speaking out against the city's governing process that they said has created a lack of transparency.

The six alders plan to boycott council meetings until ordinances passed at the Aug. 8 Committee of the Whole meeting are put on a Common Council agenda, which is the next step for items approved by the committee.

Several members of the public who attended the meeting Tuesday expressed frustration about the early adjournment. 

Kim Adams said she came to the meeting to speak about issues she's had trying to contact city employees, both in person at City Hall and over the phone.

She said she expected the meeting to not go through because of the lack of quorum, but was still disappointed.

"Everyone sitting in there, whether they're getting $20,000 a year or $100,000 a year, each person there is contributing to (council members') salary," Adams said. "Just be nice and listen to us, because y'all can solve the problems."

Denis Navratil said he came to the meeting to speak about the same governance issues boycotting alders are citing.

"Fundamentally, the issue is about governance, and the structure as it stands is such that the alderpeople cannot do their jobs," he said. 

Navratil said he supports the boycotting alders and was disappointed that Mayor Cory Mason and the council members present did not stay to listen to the public's comments.

"It's cowardice, frankly, because they wouldn't listen to what their constituents have to say," Navratil said. "The mayor, in a statement earlier, said this is all about (being) for the constituents. Well, he just proved that he didn't want to listen to them."

The next Common Council meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15.

From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/government-politics/racine-common-council-fails-quorum/article_f80f5176-802d-11ef-8146-4bf86532f41c.html#tracking-source=home-top-story