Bueller? Bueller? Here’s what we know about City Council attendance in Fort Wayne

“Although there are requirements for the Council body to meet in state code, there are no specific attendance requirements for individuals, so each person acts independently." -City Council Administrator Megan Flohr on attendance policies for council representatives.

What’s happening?

• Three of the nine members of Fort Wayne City Council were absent from the last regular session meeting on July 22, leaving council with barely enough members to vote on projects (which requires a quorum of five).
• This lack of attendance contributed to delaying a vote on the Urban Trail another two weeks – after it had already been delayed several weeks this year. At one point during the meeting, Councilman Geoff Paddock said he was “a little embarrassed” so many council members were absent.

So...

How often have City Council representatives been absent this year? Why does it matter? And what rules exist – or might – to protect the public interest?

We did a deep dive to answer these questions, which involved:

• Reviewing online footage of council meetings this year to document attendance.
• Contacting all council members via email to seek comment.
• Consulting City Council Administrator Megan Flohr and City Clerk Lana Keesling.