Boston city councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson was absent from a number of City Council meetings, making her the “worst offender” among city lawmakers despite advocating for more accountability for public officials, per a recent report.
“The roles and responsibilities of Boston city councilors are fundamental to the effective governance of our city, impacting the lives of residents and shaping the future of our communities,” Fernandes Anderson said, according to the Boston Herald.
“It is imperative to establish clear metrics to assess the performance of Boston city councilors in fulfilling their duties to their constituents, necessitating the implementation of measurable criteria such as responsiveness to constituent inquiries, attendance at meetings and hearings, and effectiveness in advancing key policy objectives,” she also said.
However, Fernandes Anderson “has logged seven absences at regular weekly City Council meetings since taking office in January 2022, putting her at the bottom of the pack according to publicly-posted meeting minutes that track attendance,” per the report.
The Boston city councilor has stated that absences were an example of an “imperative” metric to track what public officials are doing.
Certain accountability metrics, Fernandes Anderson wrote, “could provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of governance mechanisms, highlight areas for improvement, and foster a culture of openness and responsiveness within institutions.”
Fernandes Anderson has reportedly missed out on multiple votes related to public safety. (Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
Fernandes Anderson has reportedly missed out on multiple votes related to public safety.
“She was absent on Sept. 13, when councilors voted to reject three $850,000 grants for the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, and again on Oct. 4, when four grants totaling $3.4 million were approved for the police department’s intelligence arm, over concerns the other councilors of color raised about the BRIC’s gang database,” the Boston Herald reported.
“Fernandes Anderson was also absent on Dec. 13, when the council voted, 12-0, to approve a new five-year contract for the city’s largest police union, and 6-6 to block a $13 million counter-terrorism grant for the metro Boston region,” the outlet revealed.
Last fiscal year, according to the Boston Herald, the councilor “oversaw a budget process last fiscal year that sought to cut millions from the Boston Police Department.”
Anderson did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.