Oaklandside: Which Oakland councilmember missed the most votes so far this year?
Voting on legislation is the main responsibility of Oakland City Councilmembers. It’s how the city makes big decisions, like budgeting for police and fire services, negotiating development deals, and approving new laws. Councilmembers’ votes also tell residents where their elected representatives stand on hot-button issues such as homelessness and public safety.
But councilmembers aren’t always present at meetings where votes are taken. Sometimes this is for unavoidable reasons, like family emergencies. Other times it’s because a councilmember wants to focus on a different aspect of their job, like meeting with constituents or lobbying for resources in the state capital. And sometimes they miss votes for less understandable reasons: they were late to work or went home early because they got tired of hearing their colleagues talk. (Yes, this has really happened.)
