Opinion: Councilmember Carroll’s Troubling Attendance Record is Getting Worse
Last year, Irvine Watchdog compiled attendance data from every City Councilmember since 2019. This included early departures and partial absences from City Council and Great Park Board meetings. Former Mayor Farrah Khan, Christina Shea and current Mayor Larry Agran had the best attendance record, while current City Councilmember, Mike Carroll, received a “D” grade for repeated absences.
Irvine Watchdog looked at the attendance data compiled from all the City Council meeting minutes since June of 2024 and noticed a troubling trend. Councilmember Carroll’s attendance has gone from bad to worse. Despite a bright patch during the 2024 election season, Carroll’s post-election attendance has dipped further down than ever before. He has missed, or partially missed, the following City Council and Great Park Board Meetings:
- 10/8/24 – Arrived at 7pm for a 4pm City Council Meeting
- 11/12/24 – Left the City Council Meeting at 10pm when it finished at 11pm, missing a vote on an item
- 2/11/25 – Fully absent from the Great Park Board Meeting
- 2/11/25 – Fully absent from the City Council Special Meeting
- 2/25/25 – Fully absent from the Great Park Board Meeting
- 2/25/25 – Fully absent from the City Council Meeting
- 5/2/25 – Fully absent from the City Council Special Meeting
- 5/26/25 – Fully absent from the City Council Special Meeting despite attending a 10am Memorial Day Ceremony at Bill Barber Park situated walking distance to City Hall.
- 6/10/25 – Fully absent from the Great Park Board Meeting
- 6/10/25 – Fully absent from the City Council Meeting
Since November of 2024, all other City Councilmembers have demonstrated perfect or near perfect attendance. The troubling trend of Carroll’s absences flies in the face of an elected office holder’s duty to their constituents. During these absences, Carroll has missed critical votes on issues impacting all Irvine residents.
Irvine’s municipal code has clear attendance rules for its City Manager and Commissioners, but notably, not for its City Councilmembers. The City Manager must attend all City Council meetings unless excused (Sec. 1-3-208). Commissioners face automatic vacancy if they miss three consecutive meetings without consent (Sec. 1-4-208).
A critical gap exists in our Municipal Code: while the City Manager and Commissioners are bound by clear attendance rules, City Councilmembers are exempt. It’s imperative that we update the code to ensure consistent accountability across all leadership roles.
