Councilmembers With Poor Attendance Records

Attendance a sore spot for some on Council(NYDN) Councilmembers Gennaro, Mendez, Mealy and Sanders also were frequent no-shows in the previous fiscal year. During his final year as a Bronx lawmaker, Larry Seabrook posted the worst attendance record in the City Council. He skipped out on 30 of his 106 required sessions in the fiscal year that ended in June.  He wasn’t the only Councilmember with an attendance problem: Queens Councilman James Gennaro came in second to Seabrook, missing 26% of his meetings; Manhattan Councilwoman Rosie Mendez was a no-show 25% of the time; while Brooklyn Councilwoman Darlene Mealy and Queens Councilman James Sanders Jr. duked it out for a tie at 24%, according to council records released Wednesday in response to a Freedom of Information Law request. 
Gennaro said he has been the “primary caregiver for an immediate family member who suffers from a long-term, debilitating illness.” Sanders copped to skipping meetings to campaign in his successful primary challenge against indicted Queens state Sen. Shirley Huntley. “The election took its toll, but the election is over, and I will be back to serving ... at the high levels I always have in the past,” he said. * Former Councilman Larry Seabrook was basically a no-show. [Erin Durkin and Tina Moore]