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Scofield council tightens attendance rule: one excused absence per year, additional absences require approval
Summary
The Town Council voted to amend its attendance resolution to reduce allowed absences from three per year to one; further absences will require two-thirds council approval or be treated as unexcused and unpaid.
The Scofield Town Council voted on July 14 to amend its attendance policy for council compensation, reducing the number of permitted absences without penalty from three per calendar year to one.
The current resolution as read at the meeting had allowed council members to miss up to three regular meetings per year and still receive full compensation; the council adopted a motion to change that allowance to a single absence per year. Under the revised language passed by the council, any additional absence beyond the single allowed absence must be approved by a two-thirds majority of the council; otherwise the absence will be considered unexcused and the council member will not be paid for that meeting.
Council discussion centered on fairness and the small number of monthly meetings the town holds. Council members said family or medical emergencies would remain excused and that the body should review absences case by case when appropriate. One council member said, "If you don't show up, you probably ought to not get paid for that month," while others cautioned for allowances in true emergencies.
Why this matters: The change is a personnel and governance decision that affects elected officials' compensation and expectations for attendance at a small-town council that meets monthly.
Ending: The presiding official said the revised language would be recorded and provided to the clerk for inclusion in town records.
