Over the course of my working life, which has been spread across various industries, I’ve had the opportunity to work with any number of people. Some I worked for, some I worked with and some have worked for me. I’ve worked alongside people with varied backgrounds and ethnicities who have had attained various levels of education and possess diverse skill sets. I have toiled with some who strive for excellence, as well as those who settle for mediocrity. Some strove to get ahead, some were content to merely cash their check and enjoy their current station in life. A select few have managed to cultivate the career they dreamed of since childhood. The vast majority stumbled into careers they never imagined, but that pay the bills. Some people possess certain intangible qualities that help them achieve success no matter the endeavor. Some people can’t manage to get out of their own way.

So what’s the point? Like most of you, I’ve seen a little bit of everything when it comes to witnessing professional success, as well as failure. I have also personally experienced a little bit of both. Enough of both, perhaps, to have a pretty good idea of whether certain behaviors will lead to future career success, or doom one for failure.

Here are a couple of really basic examples of behaviors and whether they will lead to success or failure.

Show up on time, work hard and get your job done? Success.

Leave early, show up late or not at all? Failure.

It’s not that complicated, really. If you don’t show up for work you’re not going to get your job done. If you don’t get your job done, well, you’ve failed.

And that’s why Greg McLemore shouldn’t be Franklin’s mayor.

McLemore is nothing if not a complicated political character. He’s beloved by those in his ward who vote for him, but has achieved little to help improve their community. He challenges his colleagues on city council if he believes it’s in the best interest of his constituents, but has done so to the extent that he has alienated himself from those who could align with him to achieve his desired results. He has come up with ideas to promote and improve the city, but some are so outlandish that it’s hard to take him seriously. But while one could have a serious discussion as to whether his previously mentioned positive attributes outweigh the bad, there’s one single albatross hanging from his neck that absolutely disqualifies him as a serious candidate to become the city’s next mayor.

He doesn’t show up for work.

Since May 5, 2014, Franklin City Council has held 18 called and 39 regular meetings. Out of 57 meetings over a two-year span, it would not be unusual for a council member to miss or be late for a few. And in fact, most members have missed a meeting here and there due to scheduling conflicts; two members have missed 3 meetings, two have missed 2 meetings, and another member has missed 1. One council member, Mary Hilliard, has had perfect attendance. That’s a total of 11 missed meetings spread over six members of city council.

McLemore, however, has skipped 22 meetings and walked out early on another 8.

That’s right, 22 and 8. Greg McLemore has literally missed twice as many meetings as all other city council members combined, and walked out on nearly as many as they have collectively missed. For those of you keeping score at home, that means Greg McLemore has missed or walked out on 53 percent of the called or regular meetings held to conduct the city’s business over the last 22 months. More simply stated, the residents of Franklin’s 3rd ward have had representation at less than half the meetings they elected him to attend.

If you don’t show up for work, you can’t get your job done. And for nearly two years, hasn’t been there to do the job his constituents hired him to do.

They, and the entire city, deserve better.

Tony Clark is publisher of The Tidewater News. He can be reached at tony.clark@tidewaternews.com.