Problems with attendance

He missed 20 meetings, and half of them were in the year the biggest decisions were made.

The short version

  1. Ruiz missed 20 council meetings.

    The roll call at the top of every set of minutes records who showed up.

    See every meeting he missed
    DateMeeting
    2022-02-15Joint Worksession with PfISD BoardMinutes
    2022-03-22Regular MeetingMinutes
    2022-03-22WorksessionMinutes
    2022-04-20WorksessionMinutes
    2022-06-28WorksessionMinutes
    2023-03-20WorksessionMinutes
    2024-09-09Joint Meeting with ISD BoardMinutes
    2025-02-24WorksessionMinutes
    2025-04-08WorksessionMinutes
    2025-06-16WorksessionMinutes
    2025-06-24Regular MeetingMinutes
    2025-06-24Special MeetingMinutes
    2025-08-12WorksessionMinutes
    2025-08-18WorksessionMinutes
    2025-10-21Joint Meeting with PfISD BoardMinutes
    2025-11-18Special MeetingMinutes
    2025-12-15Joint Meeting with Charter Review CommissionMinutes
    2026-04-20WorksessionMinutes
    2026-05-18WorksessionMinutes
    2026-06-15WorksessionMinutes
  2. Half of them were in 2025, the year of the biggest decisions.

    That was the year of $127 million in new debt and the City Hall contracts. He even missed the meeting that set the maximum tax rate.

    See the proof
    City Council minutes, 2025-08-12, page 7: proposed maximum tax rate. Mr. Metayer moved to approve the resolution. Mayor Gonzales seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Mr. Metayer - yes, … Ms. Ryan - no, Mayor Gonzales - yes, Mr. Weiss - yes. Mr. Ruiz was not in attendance. The motion carried.

    City Council minutes, 2025-08-12, p. 7 · Official PDF

    Read the minutes
    proposed maximum tax rate. Mr. Metayer moved to approve the resolution. Mayor Gonzales seconded the motion. The vote was as follows: Mr. Metayer - yes, … Ms. Ryan - no, Mayor Gonzales - yes, Mr. Weiss - yes. Mr. Ruiz was not in attendance. The motion carried.
  3. He walked out of seven more meetings before they ended.

    See the meetings he left early
    DateMeetingMinutes
    2021-02-12Worksession (Telephone/Video Conference)"Ruiz exited the meeting at 3:52 p.m."Minutes
    2022-05-18Worksession"Ruiz exited the worksession at 12:22pm."Minutes
    2022-11-21Worksession"Ruiz exited the worksession at 12:45pm. and a quorum was no longer in attendance."Minutes
    2022-12-19Worksession"Ruiz left the worksession at 12:49pm. 4."Minutes
    2025-10-28Regular Meeting"Ruiz left the meeting at 7:52pm."Minutes
    2025-12-15Worksession"Ruiz left the worksession at 12:34pm."Minutes
    2026-09-21Worksession"Councilmember Ceasar Ruiz exited the worksession at 12:48pm."Minutes
  4. In 2016 he attacked his opponent for being absent.

    He said Democrats seem to think being out “running around doing everything else” matters more than representing their district.

    Watch him say it
    On video

    Ruiz in 2016, as the Republican nominee

    “She was pretty absentee this last time as well. I don't know if that's a theme with the Democrats, but being absent and being out, running around doing everything else ... seems to be more important than representing the people of their district.”

    Republican candidate forum, Austin Tech Republicans, 2016