City Councilor Tom Mansur's inattendance at meetings under scrutiny
BY KEVIN CANFIELD World Staff Writer
Thursday, November 15, 2012
11/15/12 at 7:52 AM
Read continuing coverage of Tulsa’s City Council.
City Council administrator Drew Rees is trying to determine whether outgoing City Councilor Tom Mansur violated a state law that requires members of municipal governing bodies to attend at least 50 percent of meetings in any given consecutive four-month period.
From July through October, Mansur missed a total of 11 regular and special meetings and attended nine, according to figures provided by the City Council office.
The figures include 13 regular meetings - of which Mansur attended seven - and seven special meetings, of which Mansur attended two.
At issue is whether the seven special meetings were properly designated or should have been listed as task force meetings.
The meetings were held to discuss the city's Community Development Block Grant process, which councilors participate in as members of the Fund Allocation Committee.
If the CDBG special meetings were not part of the calculation, Mansur would be in compliance with state law.
"We are looking at the facts and seeing what meetings are applicable and whether a quorum was reached," Rees said. "Then we will discuss it with the city attorney to get his advice on how to proceed."
Mansur announced Aug. 17 that he would not actively seek re-election because he had accepted a job in Ardmore. However, he chose to keep his name on the ballot, saying he did not want to be the person to determine the outcome of the two-person race.
Since then, he has missed six of nine regular meetings and six of nine special meetings.
Arianna Moore defeated Mansur in the District 7 election Nov. 6, capturing 57.1 percent of the vote. She will be sworn in Dec. 3.
Mansur said Wednesday that he was under the impression that the state attendance law applied to meetings held over six consecutive months, not four.
"If I am in violation, I will just do whatever the mayor and the city attorney tell me to do," he said.
Mansur was elected in November 2011 to a one-year term, succeeding John Eagleton, who did not seek re-election.
By the end of the year, he was dismissed from his job at SAIC Constructors because of a perceived conflict related to his council role. SAIC does work for the city.
From Jan. 1 through mid-August, Mansur was without a job, other than his part-time City Council position, which pays $18,000 per year. So when the opportunity arose to become a utilities engineer for the city of Ardmore, he took it.
Mansur said he has kept up with the council agendas and backup materials each week since announcing that he would not return to office.
When a meeting included agenda items that would affect his district, be contentious or benefit from his expertise, he made a point of attending the meeting, Mansur said.
City Council Chairman G.T. Bynum said he sympathized with Mansur's work situation, "but at the same time you have to show up at meetings, and he hasn't been. ... It does a disservice to the citizens of his district and, I believe, the importance of what we do."
As a practical matter, Bynum said, the issue has been addressed.
"The citizens of District 7 have already handled this by electing Councilor Moore, who will be sworn in two meetings from now," he said.
Councilor Tom Mansur's attendance record
July through October
| Regular Meetings |
13 |
| Present |
7 |
| Absent |
6 |
| Special Meetings* |
7 |
| Present |
2 |
| Absent |
5 |
August 17 to present**
| Regular Meetings |
9 |
| Present |
3 |
| Absent |
6 |
| Special Meetings* |
9 |
| Present |
3 |
| Absent |
6 |
* City attorney to determine whether these meetings were properly listed as special meetings
** August 17 is date Mansur announced that he would not serve a second term
Source: Tulsa City Council office
Original Print Headline: Councilor's time scrutinized
Kevin Canfield 918-581-8313
kevin.canfield@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
City Councilor Tom Mansur: "If I am in violation, I will just do whatever the mayor and the city attorney tell me to do," he said
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