NorCo Council: Workhorses, Showhorses & No-Showhorses of 2013

Parsons gives me the hairy eyeball

Who are Northampton County Council's workhorses, showhorses and no-showhorses in 2013? What is their attendance, including Committee participation, where most of the real work is done?

Northampton County Council met 30 times last year, including four budget hearings.

In addition, its committees met 30 times. Each Council member is encouraged to attend those meetings, regardless whether he or she is a voting member. In addition to individual attendance, the committees that do meet are an indication of what issues concern Council members.

As might be expected, Finance and Personnel head that list. They each met 11 times last year. With smooth sailing far from over at Gracedale and a centralized human services building in the works, Human Services was a hot Committee, too, meeting nine times. Other committees conducting meetings were Economic Development (8) and Open Space (2).

Despite numerous questions about the Home Rule Charter, Lamont McClure's Legal Committee has conducted no meetings since 2009. Peg Ferraro's Intergovernmental failed to meet, too. Its had just one meeting in the past 8 years, missing an opportunity to discuss regionalism for certain services like coroner or regional police
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Below is a table showing attendance at Committee meetings, regular meetings and budget hearings. Scott Parsons, a Wind Gap blue collar worker, is this year's Northampton County Council workhorse. Ironically, Parsons was worried that he'd miss afternoon meetings because of his work schedule

Other workhorses include outgoing Council president John Cusick, Tom Dietrich, Peg Ferraro and Bob Werner. All had a combined attendance record of 90%.

Closely following them is Ken Kraft, with an 88% combined attendance record.  

Three Council members, however, were no-show horses. Barb Thierry (57%) and Bruce Gilbert (40%) get failing grades, and neither sought re-election.

Lamont McClure (43%) has no such excuse. In fact, he was a County Executive candidate this year. He failed to attend a single committee hearing this year, and was only at 2 of 4 budget hearings. His attendance was a campaign issue when he sought re-election in 2010, and was campaign fodder during the Executive primary. .

council members	ec. dev. 8 mtgs	human services 9 mtgs	personnel and finance 11 meetings	open space 2 mtgs	council 26 meetings	budget 4 hearings	2013	2012	2011
john cusick	5	5	11	1	25	4	90%	92%	77%
tom dietrich	7	9	9	0	25	4	90%	84%	75%
peg ferraro	8	7	8	1	25	3	90%	85%	67%
bruce gilbert	1	0	2	0	21	0	40%	48%	53%
ken kraft	7	8	10	0	24	4	88%	84%	n/a
lamont mcclure	0	0	0	0	24	2	43%	47%	41%
scott parsons	5	9	10	2	26	3	92%	89%	n/a
barb thierry	1	2	8	0	21	2	57%	58%	55%
bob werner	8	7	9	1	25	4	90%	82%	n/a