City Commissioner Clark shows up to work

Guess who was in his office most of today? City Commissioner Anthony Clark.

That's right, the city commissioner chairman who received some heat the last couple weeks for his lax work attendance, spent most of the day inside his City Hall office.

Clark's deputy Carla Moss said the chairman came into the office around 10 a.m.  Just after 11 a.m., Clark , who was in a black sweatshirt and dark jeans, emerged briefly from his office but dismissed a reporter who was waiting (me).

"I don't have any comment. I'm in here working, I'm busy," he said, after he popped his head out of his office and called for Moss, whose desk is in the reception area.

Clark has defended his practice of running the office mostly from afar. In Tuesday's paper, City Controller Alan Butkovitz suggested that the city commissioners implement a code of conduct that would describe their duties. Butkovitz said that if the code had penalties such as withholding pay, then it would be easier to hold Clark accountable.

What did Clark think of such an idea?

He scrunched his face and slightly nodded 'No.'

"I mean it's been running for years that way," without a code of conduct, he said. "We're elected officials."

And then it was back to his computer-less office, where he shut the door behind him. Throughout the afternoon, he took calls and met with some deputies, all behind closed doors.

On Wednesday, the three commissioners are expected to meet at 11 a.m. at the Board of Elections' office on Front and Spring Garden. That meeting is open to the public.

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