The Peabody City Council was forced to adjourn its meeting after more than half of the councilors didn't show up.
The Salem News reported that the five members who did attend Thursday waited about half an hour in hopes that one of the six absent members would arrive to make a quorum.
Council President Tom Gould worked his cell phone trying to reach members who weren't there. But eventually, the council had to call it a night.
Ward Councilor Bob Driscoll, the longest serving member at 25 years, said, "There's no such thing as an excuse for this."
Three of the absent members have already signaled their intentions to retire. Some councilors speculated Thursday's light agenda might have contributed to the absences.
