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Allan Appel File Photo
His colleagues haven’t seen him in City Hall for months. His constituents can’t find him in the neighborhood. He doesn’t answer his phone.
People are beginning to wonder if it’s time to replace Fair Haven Alderman Gabriel Santiago.
Santiago (pictured), a freshman alderman who took office in January, has attended only six of 18 Board of Aldermen meetings and five of 17 committee meetings this year. Most of the meetings he did attend were in the first half of the year. His attendance has dropped off steeply in recent months.
He last attended a full board meeting on July 2. He officially sits on two aldermanic committees: human services and youth. He last attended a human services meeting on May 9. He last attended a youth meeting on May 2.
At bimonthly aldermanic meetings, it has become an expected occurrence for the attendance roll call of “Santiago?” to be met by silence from the alderman’s empty chair.
After repeated messages left on his cell phone and at his workplace seeking comment for this article since last week, Santiago (pictured) called back Tuesday afternoon — only to ask that he not be called again.
He said he couldn’t answer questions: “Right now is not a great time.”
That’s more than he has said to some constituents and fellow politicos who have tried to reach him.
“My understanding is that he has no desire to be an alderman anymore,” said Rafael Ramos, co-chair of the Democratic Committee in Santiago’s Ward 14, which covers eastern Fair Haven. “That’s from other folks in the community.”
Ramos said he doesn’t know why Santiago stopped showing up to meetings.
“I wish I knew,” he said. “Maybe he didn’t realize the commitment” involved in being an alderman.
“He doesn’t answer my phone either,” Ramos said. “I’ve been trying to talk to him for six months. I can’t get a hold of him.”
Ramos said neighbors in the ward aren’t happy with their AWOL alderman: “I think people are frustrated. It is frustrating because we have no representation right now.”
If Santiago steps down before June 30, the ward would have 45 days to hold a special election to name a replacement. If he steps down after June 30 — that is, within six months of the end of his term — the mayor would appoint his successor.
“The fact that we may have a special election and in a hurry may not give us the best candidate,” Ramos said. He said he expects a special election after the regular election in next month.
Hill Aldermen Jorge Perez, the president of the board, said Santiago hasn’t told him that he plans to step down. “It is my understanding that there is some interest in that community for people to try to run.”
Santiago came into office in January as part of a wave of union-backed aldermen that swept into office on a promise of community-based responsiveness and grassroots government.