Prince George’s County Council member Rodney C. Streeter (D-District 7) has not attended meetings since July, an unusual absence that has led to confusion among some of his constituents and colleagues.

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       Streeter is recovering from a medical procedure and will return when it is “medically appropriate,” council staff said, declining to answer further questions. Over the course of the council’s fall term — which has been entirely virtual — Streeter has missed votes on substantial issues including the controversial decision to adopt a redistricting map. The plan adopted by the council, which was opposed by more than 150 residents at a hearing this month, substantially changed the boundaries of Streeter’s district, including moving the area where a potential opponent lived into another district.

       Streeter did not respond to requests for comment. The first-term council member, who previously served as the chief of staff to a council member and in 2019 was chosen by his colleagues as the body’s vice chair, is a quiet and well-respected member. He represents some of the county’s poorest neighborhoods along the D.C. line, which like the District have struggled with recent increases in crime.

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       “I just want answers as to, ‘where are you?’ ‘why aren’t you speaking up?’ ” Temple Hills resident Jeanette Brandon said of Streeter, adding that she was especially upset that he missed the redistricting vote.

       “If you’re going to have something done,” she said, “I feel like you should at least be there to speak up.”

       Brandon, who described herself as a community advocate, said she still gets fliers for Streeter in the mail but has not seen the council member at events for months. She hopes Streeter gets better if he is sick and wants to respect his privacy, she said, but believes he should “pass the baton” if he is no longer able to do the job.

       She supports Krystal Oriadha, who is considering running against Streeter in 2022, when all the council seats will be on the ballot.

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       On the campaign trail, residents have asked about Streeter’s absence, said Oriadha, a liberal activist who lost to Streeter by 31 votes in 2018. She said that public officials sign an “unwritten contract” with their constituents that means keeping them informed if they can no longer provide effective representation and that it is important to have a representative on the council to “fight for resources for our community.”

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       “I hope everything is well,” she said, “but we are not sure what is happening.”

       Accusations of gerrymandering have deepened divisions in this Democratic suburb near D.C.

       The last council meeting that Streeter attended was July 13, council spokeswoman Karen Campbell said, and he did not return in September following the August recess. Streeter advised the council administration about the reason for his absence, she said, and has provided updates through County Council Chair Calvin S. Hawkins II (D-At Large). His office, she said, has continued to host community events and communicate through social media and weekly newsletters.

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       Council members on the 11-person body declined to discuss Streeter’s condition publicly, saying they wanted to respect his privacy. But multiple members said they wished they had more information about what happened, including his plans to return, noting that even they were told by Hawkins only that Streeter had a “minor medical procedure.”

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       Some also said they worried about the apparent lack of transparency with constituents about what happened. His district includes Capitol Heights, Hillcrest Heights, Marlow Heights, District Heights, Suitland and Temple Hills.

       On a divided council, Streeter tended to vote with the moderate majority but was liked by colleagues in both factions. He sometimes served as a key vote, including when he withdrew his support for a charter amendment — initially supported by the majority — that would have allowed the council to increase the cap on the homestead tax credit. That measure was ultimately tabled.

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       The Prince George’s County Council, unlike some of its municipalities, does not have rules about how many meetings members can miss. In the city of Seat Pleasant, which was in Streeter’s district until it was moved because of redistricting, the longtime mayor was removed from office after missing three meetings without an excuse.

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       The Prince George’s charter states that removing a council member from office requires a vote of at least two-thirds of the full council, a public hearing and a finding that the council member “is unable by reason of physical or mental disability to perform the duties of his office.”

       The council is already down a member after Monique Anderson-Walker (D-District 8) resigned so that she could focus full-time on the 2022 gubernatorial campaign. Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot (D) tapped her as his running mate.

       A special primary election to fill her seat will be held Jan. 4, with the general on Feb. 1. In deeply blue Prince George’s, the primaries are usually decisive.