May 5, 2025 8:45p
(WGTD)---A newly-elected Racine City Council member's extended absence is angering some of his colleagues and raising eyebrows among others.
Even as he was sworn in Apr. 15th, political newcomer Malik Frazier, who defeated incumbent Jeff Coe Apr. 1st, was making plans to leave town for Army Reserve officer candidate training that'll keep him away from Racine for three months.
Some council members, including Council President Maurice Horton, said they only recently became aware of Frazier's departure.
Frazier failed to show up for last week's meeting of the Public Safety and Licensing Committee of which he's a member. The absence resulted in a tie vote for committee chairmanship. A coin flip settled it.
Frazier subsequently apologized to Committee Chair Sandy Weidner for not directly informing committee members in advance of his absence.
In an interview with WGTD, Frazier vowed to respond to constituent emails and phone calls while he's away and said he'll try to participate virtually in city council and committee meetings, but couldn't guarantee it. Frazier downplayed that aspect of the job. "I've seen some of these council meetings and just because we're there for 2 or 3 hours does not mean that they're productive," Frazier said. "Just like I told the people that elected me, my purpose is to get stuff done not to just sit in these meetings and waste time," he said.
When made aware of the comment, Council President Horton responded diplomatically. "While I understand that not all meetings may feel productive, public engagement, discussion, and transparency are fundamental parts of our work," Horton said.
Frazier said he never tried to hide that his commitment to pursuing officer status could result in an extended absence. "Before I ran or before I fully committed (to running), I made it very well known to the people in my circle and to some city staff that this as a possibility," he said.
But Coe said neither he nor the average voter, in his opinion, were aware of the possibility. "We're supposed to be here if people need us," Coe said. "The voters just weren't informed. I don't think it was right that it was done like that. They (Frazier's campaign) should have at least informed the voters."
Even though he's been off the council for several weeks, Coe said he's still getting calls from former constituents who are looking for help and are used to turning to him. Coe said he's happy to oblige.
Frazier is a full-time Racine County deputy sheriff who currently serves as a Staff Sgt. in the Reserve. He applied to become a lieutenant two years ago, but wasn't accepted for training until just last fall, and even then wasn't given firm orders to report until just a week before he left on Apr. 27th.
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