David Coates / The Detroit News Detroit City Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel, left, leads the start of a meeting Oct. 10 in which only office staff members are present. During meetings council members often wander in and out.

    Late arrivals, no shows

    On Sept. 5, all the council members showed up at some point for the first day back after summer break. That all the council members made an appearance was rare — it only happened for one other meeting during the whole month of September. This is an election year.

    The session began at 9:45 a.m. with three of the nine members in attendance. Hood, an outgoing councilman who lost his bid for mayor six days later, sat in as president. Scott and Sheila Cockrel also were there. After a few minutes, Mahaffey and Hill came in and sat down.

    Tinsley-Talabi showed up 10 minutes late after the council had already moved through 31 line items. Eventually Councilman Ken Cockrel showed up as well. Council members’ offices have speakers, so members can hear meetings from their desks. But members cannot comment or participate unless they are in the meeting.

    At 10:31 a.m., after all 70 of the line items were reviewed, Councilwoman Kay Everett arrived.

    At 11:07, an hour and 24 minutes after the session began, Councilman Cleveland came in, wearing a sports jacket and gym shoes. Notorious for arriving late or not at all, Cleveland is serving out the last days of his final term.

    A fixture on the council for almost three decades, Cleveland pleaded guilty in March to assaulting his estranged wife with a pistol and received two years probation. He then reluctantly announced that he would not seek re-election.

    Cleveland is the extreme example of poor attendance on the council. Others, even the most diligent, regularly duck in and out of meetings.

    On Sept. 5, Hood, Hill, Everett, Mahaffey and Cleveland ducked out of the meeting for different periods of time.

    Poor attendance hasn’t hurt their budget. While council members are quick to complain about inflated costs in the city bureaucracy and government waste, the council’s overall budget has grown by more than 94 percent in seven years, from $7,255,729 in the 1993-94 fiscal year to $14,137,522 in the 2001-02 fiscal year. In addition to its own member offices, the council oversees a council Research & Analysis Division, a Zoning Board of Appeals, a Fiscal Analysis Division, a City Planning Commission and an Historic Designation Advisory Board.

    The council’s total budget could operate the police homicide unit for more than 21/2 years.

    One council member who has been candid about his frustrations with the council’s inaction is Hood. He has said that he ran for mayor this year because his seven years on the council taught him that in Detroit government, only the mayor really can get anything done.

    Hood, known for his reserved demeanor and earnest discussion at council meetings, said the televised meetings are not conducive to healthy democratic debate.

    “It encourages histrionics and a level of theater and drama that is not warranted,” he said.