Boston city councilor who went viral for poor attendance record walks out on vote for police budget: Report
Fernandes Anderson 'has logged seven absences at regular weekly City Council meetings since taking office in January 2022,' per the Boston Herald
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Boston city councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson, who recently made headlines over her absence from City Council meetings, reportedly missed another four votes this week related to the city's police budget after walking out of a Wednesday City Council meeting.
The Boston Herald reported on Sunday that Anderson was present for Wednesday's City Council meeting, but was absent for four votes surrounding Boston's police funding, a $22 million, 5-year contract, that the city and police union previously agreed on.
"Four of the six consecutive votes Fernandes Anderson missed this week were for the police detectives’ contract, which includes raises and reforms," the outlet reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Anderson has missed more meetings than any of her colleagues since she assumed office in 2022, according to the Boston Herald.
Boston State Capitol and Tania Fernandes Anderson split image (Getty Images)
Fernandes Anderson has reportedly missed out on multiple votes related to public safety. The Boston Herald found that three of her four absences in 2023 were on days when the Boston City Council voted on major public safety legislation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Anderson has said it was "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," Fox News Digital previously reported.
However, 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 Herald report.
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."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}At a press conference outside the Christopher A. Iannella Chamber, Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson in Boston City Hall in Boston on June 15, 2022. ((Photo by Pat Greenhouse/The Boston Globe via Getty Images))
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Michael McCormack, a former Boston City Council member, criticized Anderson in statements given to the Boston Herald.
"She’s making $115,000 a year," McCormack said. "You’ve been paid to stand up and take a vote, period. Whether you’re in favor, or you’re against, show your colors and stand up, and don’t walk out and sneak out. Take a vote."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}McCormack said Anderson's district was going through a crime wave and added her constituents weren't "looking for someone who walks out when a key vote is taking place."
Tania Fernandes Anderson, newly elected to the Boston City Council, will be the first Muslim, first formerly undocumented person, and first African immigrant to hold office in the city. She poses in Nubian Square in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston on December 9, 2021. ((Photo by Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images))
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"Every conversation I’ve had with her around public safety and support for public safety, she’s been positive," Louis Elisa, president of the Roxbury, Massachusetts Garrison Trotter Neighborhood Association, which is located in Anderson's district, told the Herald.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Anderson did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Fox News' Jeffrey Clark contributed to this report.