Rick Houlton, who receives £8,000 a year in town hall allowances, beat regional transport boss Roger Jones.
But a row has broken out after it emerged he has only been to one full council meeting and one committee meeting since his election in May.
He even failed to show for a debate on the congestion charge.
Coun Houlton's election victory meant Mr Jones, a councillor in Irlam, Salford, lost his post as chairman of the Greater Manchester Transport Authority.
Coun Houlton, of the Community Action Party, had campaigned strongly against Mr Jones who was the face of the pro congestion charge lobby.
He attended the May full council meeting but has not been since.
Last month he missed a council meeting to discuss in-depth the congestion charge and a bid by the 10 councils of Greater Manchester for a £2.7bn package including £1.5bn from the government's Transport Innovation Fund to improve and expand public transport.
Coun Houlton is also a member of the council's environmental housing and planning scrutiny committee, but after going to his first meeting in June has missed the next two in August and September.
All three main political parties in the city have condemned Coun Houlton for his attendance record.
Value for money
But today he insisted he was `value for money' working hard for people in Irlam and Cadishead.
He works as a supervisor at an air freight and haulage company based in Wythenshawe and said as he worked night shifts it was difficult to get time off to attend council meetings.
He said: "I could not get time off for the July council meeting and last month I was committed to attending an AGM of an important residents' group in Irlam.
"I attend my surgery meetings and try to do as much as I can. A lot of the councillors in Salford are of an older generation or retired and being a councillor is all they do. I have a full time job and work 50 hours a week.
"I do a lot of council work via e-mail and help people that way. It was not just my stance on the congestion charge alone on which I was elected. I think people felt Roger Jones was not hands on enough.
"Four leaflets were put out by the Community Action Party in the election - Roger Jones put out one generic leaflet. I am helping people in Cadishead the ward next to mine too. I believe I am value for money - I am doing real work in the community. I am currently trying to get a new residents group set up in the Dixon Street area of Irlam."
Labour councillor, Joe Keane, said: "Coun Houlton has failed dismally to represent local people's views and his attendance at council meetings is appalling."
Coun Steve Cooke, of the city's Liberal Democrats, said: "I think it is disgraceful that the Community Action Party were not at the congestion charge meeting. Coun Houlton based his campaign on TIF and can't even be bothered to turn up."
Tory leader, Councillor Mrs Karen Garrido, said: "The CAP councillor has let himself down as well as the people he represents by not turning up for the meeting." Tweet
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i'm sorry, but not once have i had councillor Houlton come to my door to ask for my views on the irlam area, or views on the congestion charge. (i didn't even receive these "four leaflets" he claimed to have delivered in the run up to the election) thank god i didn't vote for him.
I live in Irlam and was glad to see Jones go, I also received all 4 of the CAP's leaflets, Labour's 1 and the Conservatives 1 as well.
People need to consider the possibilty this is simply the 'old guard' of the 3 main parties venting their spleens at a young(ish) upstart from a small political party that has shown them they way ahead.
The man holds a full-time job down outside of the council, let's give him a while longer to find his feet eh?
What a surprise. Lets lay into the man who beat Roger Jones.
In fairnes CAP could have put up a stuffed toy and it would have beaten Jones. He set himself up for defeat.
I think if you look at Parliament, the chamber is mainly empty except for PMQ and the Budget. Politics is not just about talking hot air. As abour still have a majority, Council debate is worthless. Mr Houltons time is better spent in his constituency surgerys.
Mr Houlton should have taken into consideration his work commitments before putting his name forward for the nomination as Councellor of the Irlam ward. By being elected, he is the representative of the people of Irlam and is there to represent their views on Salford City Council. By not attending meetings he is not doing the job that he was elected to do. I suggest that Councillor Houlton should reassess his commitments and if he cannot give full attention to the job he was elected to do he should stand down and an election should be held to elect someone who can commit to the job. The people of Irlam deserve better.
Didn't even turn up for the debate on the congestion charge? Is he not even bothered about it now, not even to put across his views?
As I said before the election, beware of one-issue candidates.
MC Spanner
maybe they should have done, at least a soft toy could have turned up to represnt it's ward
Part of all councillors remit should be they turn up for all meetings and if they didnt know what was required of them they are not worth being a councillor "Not knowing what the job was about" .They should resign if they cannot do the job and turn up at meetings...No wonder voters cannot get things done.
"Didn't even turn up for the debate on the congestion charge? Is he not even bothered about it now, not even to put across his views?
As I said before the election, beware of one-issue candidates."
I agree with you that one-issue candidates are a waste of time but the CAP has been going in Wigan and Salford longer than the CAP debate.
I don't know the rules in Salford but in Bury the requirement is to only turn up for 60% of meetings. Councillors are paid somewhere between £7-10k so it is not a full time job and as such allowances have to be made for non-attendance.
I am no fan of the CAP but his presence in a debate on Congestion Charging will have made no difference. Whilst there is a Labour majority, the vote is going one way and turning up for three hours of Labour stooges praising the charge is not my idea of a fun evening.
Ultimately as a new councillor it will take a couple of months to adjust.
It is just interesting that yet again the MEN has picked upa small story involving an anti-charge supporter and turned it into "a row"
Cllr Houlton is more productive in the community actually helping people than talking in a town hall. If people need support from him maybe they should call him and not call him for not telepathically knowing someone some were needs his help. people, please. Why should he attend a meeting to place a line on a map, a l line most people feel should not be places. Good for him. Work in the community, doing your job for us !
It comes as no surprise that Salford new labour and their lib dem and tory muppets are all attacking the new boy on the block.
The reason is that the election of a Community Action Party Councillor in Salford has got all of the payroll vote national party politicians quaking in their slippers.
And they have got a lot to fear.
Just take a look at Wigan where the intervention of the Community Action Party reduced labour from 69 to 42 in the space of just two years.
In spite of their best efforts and colossal expenditure Wigan Labour are down to 41 councillors.
Salford Council meetings are a farce where the three national parties waste an hour or two patting each other on the back and get nothing done.
Unlike most of the Salford national party Councillors Rick Houlton is doing a full time job and is out there in his own time working with the community.
Edward Houlton - your post is very kind to the councillor - you're not a relation of Councillor Houlton by any chance?
And as for his poor attendance - well, at least he got rid of pro con charge Jones!
I am and I am a Cllr in Wigan. So I know the value of being in the community and staying away from some and I mean SOME meetings. After all, what is the point in attending a meeting where one vote will alter nothing. It is better to help with local issues and let pay roll politicians get on with looking good in the press. I would rather the community know that I was doing a good job by actually doing it. A paper can only and will only say so much. Maybe the M E N should follow Rick for a few day to his meetings and around the community. Then you will see what good can be done in the community.