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The Ann Arbor Democratic Party Bylaws
(Drafted
Feb. 16, 2006)
The proposed revisions were
Approved at the April 2006 meeting.
Article I -
Name
The name of this organization shall be the Ann Arbor City
Democratic Party, hereinafter called the Party.
Article II -
Purpose
It shall be the purpose of the Party to develop issues and
programs related to city government, to supply financial support for the Democratic
program PARTY and its candidates, to RECRUIT AND promote candidates
and campaign for their election, and provide times and places where
Democrats can gather and to promote the widest possible participation
in all the policies, management, and activities of the Party. It
shall further be the purpose of the Party to promote the growth, welfare
and success of the Democratic Party, and to assist in the development of
the party platforms of Washtenaw County, the state of Michigan, and the
United States.
Article III
- Membership
1. All Residents of
the Ann Arbor area are eligible to vote at all Party meetings and to
participate in all party activities, provided they are in sympathy with
the general aims and policies of the Democratic Party WHO ARE IN
SYMPATHY WITH THE GENERAL AIMS AND POLICIES OF THE PARTY ARE CONSIDERED
MEMBERS OF THE PARTY AND ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE IN PARTY ACTIVITIES
AND TO VOTE AT PARTY MEETINGS. A person becomes a member of the Party for
purposes of notification by indicating his or her wish to become a member
by being placed on the membership list.
2. THE SECRETARY SHALL
HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAINTAINING THE LIST OF PARTY MEMBERS TO BE
NOTIFIED OF PARTY MEETINGS.
3. There shall be no dues
for Ann Arbor City Democratic Party membership.
Article IV -
Officers
1. The officers of the
Party ARE ELECTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE MEMBERSHIP and shall
consist of a Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and two or more Vice-Chairs,
ONE OF WHOM SHALL SERVE AS VICE-CHAIR FOR ORGANIZATION. as may be elected at each annual
meeting.
2. Vacancies in these
offices other than that of chair shall be filled through
temporary appointment by the Chair. BY ACTION OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD.
At the next general meeting of the Party, a new officer to fill the
unexpired term shall be elected by a majority vote of the voting members
present. A vacancy in the position of Chair shall be filled by the
Executive Board until the next general meeting of the Party, at which
time a new Chair shall be elected by majority vote of the voting members
present to fill the unexpired term.
3. Duties of officers:
A. The Chair is the chief executive
officer of THE PARTY all party activities in the Ann Arbor area.
He/she and shall appoint chairs of all committees except the
Nominating Committee.
B. The Chair shall designate a Vice-Chair
who shall act as Chair in the absence of the Chair.
C. The Executive Board may from time to
time define specific duties for the Vice-Chairs.
D. The Secretary shall keep minutes of
all business meetings of the Executive Board and meetings of the Party,
and shall arrange for correspondence as requested by the Chair.
E. The Treasurer shall receive and
disburse funds of the Party and shall keep records of the same.
F. The above officers shall also have the
duties defined by these bylaws, the Executive Board, and general party
meetings.
Article V -
Executive Board
1. The officers set forth
in Article IV, the Ward Chairs or their designated alternates, the
Precinct Chairs, the Area Chairs and all members holding an elective
city office shall constitute the Executive Board.
2. The Executive Board
shall carry on the business of the Party between general meetings.
A. All meetings of the Executive Board
shall be open, with the privilege of debate but not vote, to any Party
member. There shall be a good faith effort to notify members of the
Executive Board of meetings of the Board.
B. A quorum of the Executive Board shall
consist of 5 7 members of the Board.
Article VI -
Ward and Precinct Organization
1. Each of the wards of
Ann Arbor shall have a Ward Chair. The ward organization may, at its
discretion, decide to have two or more Ward Co-Chairs or a Ward Committee
instead of a Ward Chair. In such case, one Ward Co-Chair or one member of
the Ward Committee shall be designated to serve on the Executive Board
and Nominating Committee. In these bylaws the term "Ward Chair"
shall include “Ward Co-Chairs“ and “Ward Committee.”
2. DEMOCRATS IN each ward
shall determine the method of selection of THEIR its Ward Chair.
If DEMOCRATS IN the ward FAIL TO SELECT A WARD CHAIR, the Ward Chair
vacancy shall be filled by recommendation of the Vice-Chair for
Organization to the Executive Board FOR APPROVAL. Ward chairs shall be
appointed by the City Chair after the Executive Board’s approval.
3. One or more Precinct
Chairs shall be appointed for each precinct by the Ward Chair, unless he
or she receives a written request of five members of the Party resident
in the precinct for a meeting, in which case a general precinct meeting
shall be held for discussion of potential Precinct Chairs and election of
same. Precinct Chairs shall serve at the pleasure of the Ward Chair. The
Ward Chair shall see that all Precinct Chair vacancies are filled as soon
as is practicable. The Ward Chair may appoint area chairs to aid in
the coordination of several precincts.
4. Each Ward Chair shall
hold at least one Fall ward meeting annually for discussion of
potential Council candidates. In addition, a Ward Chair shall hold a ward
meeting within three weeks after receipt of a written request by ten
members of the Party resident in the ward.
Article VII - Notice of GENERAL PARTY Meetings
1. The ANNUAL biannual
meeting WILL BE HELD IN LATE NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER. of even-numbered
years.
2. It shall be the
policy of the Party to meet monthly except during the months of June,
July, and August. There shall be at least six general meetings each year.
THE PARTY WILL MEET AT LEAST ONCE EACH QUARTER, the time and place of
these meetings to be determined by the Party Chair.
3. Any elected officer
of the Executive Board shall cause a general party meeting to be held
upon written request of ten members, with notice of the meeting sent by
mail or publication in the Ann Arbor News and Michigan Daily a week
before the meeting, the mailing cost or publication cost to be borne by
the ten members. A GENERAL PARTY MEETING SHALL BE HELD ON WRITTEN
REQUEST OF TEN MEMBERS OF THE PARTY. COST OF NOTICE SHALL be borne by the
ten members.
4. The annual meeting and
all general Party meetings shall be preceded by at least one week's
notice to all Party members.
NOTIFICATION MAY BE BY MAIL, E-MAIL, TELEPHONE, DIRECT CONTACT, OR
THROUGH LOCAL NEWS MEDIA. the
Ann Arbor News and the Michigan Daily. The mailed Notice of
the annual meeting must include a list of all nominees submitted by the
Nominating Committee.
5. For all ward meetings,
a good faith effort shall be made to notify all Party members in the ward
by mail, E-MAIL, TELEPHONE, OR DIRECT CONTACT.
6. A QUORUM AT THE ANNUAL
MEETING AND ALL GENERAL PARTY MEETINGS IS FIFTEEN MEMBERS.
Article VIII
- Notice of Resolutions
1. Notice of resolutions
stating a Party position or changing the structure of the Party
organization which will be presented at a general Party meeting either
must be mailed GIVEN to members at least one week prior to the
date of the meeting BY MAIL, E-MAIL, TELEPHONE, OR DIRECT CONTACT; or it
must be given at the immediately preceding general Party meeting.
2. If the notice required
by Article VIII, Section 1, has not been given to the membership, the
resolution may be introduced, but requires a 4/5 majority of those present
and voting to pass.
Article IX - Nomination and Election of City Officers
1. The Nominating Committee shall consist of all Ward Chairs or
whomever they may designate as their alternates; one person from each ward
elected by the Party membership at a general Party meeting in February
or March, and the Vice-Chair for Organization, WHO SHALL SERVE AS
CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE. and three other persons chosen by the Party
Chair. The Nominating Committee shall elect a chair from its membership.
The Nominating Committee shall be appointed at the Party meeting which
elects one person from each ward.
2. The Nominating
Committee shall report at the ANNUAL biannual meeting to be held
in late November or December of any even numbered years at least
one nominee for each of the elective offices listed in Article IV,
Section 1. These officers shall be elected for a ONE-YEAR two-year
term, OR UNTIL THEIR SUCCESSORS HAVE BEEN ELECTED.
3. In addition to the
responsibility of providing at least one nominee for each office, the
Nominating Committee shall include as a nominee any candidate receiving
support of at least two members of the Nominating Committee. Any
candidate receiving the support of at least ten party members may by
petition, directed to and received by the Secretary at least two weeks
before the ANNUAL biannual meeting, asserting that the consent of
the nominee has been obtained.
4. Nominations may also be
made from the floor, provided prior consent of the nominee has been
obtained.
5. When there is more than
one candidate for an office, voting for that office shall be by secret
ballot on demand of one member.
Article XI ARTICLE X - Primary Elections
(Article X, General Party Meetings, is moved to Article VII,
Meetings)
1. The Party will endorse
no candidates in any primary elections. Individual Party members,
officers, Ward Chairs, Precinct Chairs, and other officials are free to
support any candidate of their choice, but must not so act in the name of
the Party, or in their official capacities.
2. Upon request to the
Chair, every candidate in a Democratic Party primary will be given a
complete list of registered voters in the precinct by full name and
address, with party or independent affiliations supplied by the Precinct
Chair, if such affiliations are known. Precinct Chairs shall not make
such lists available to any candidate without prior consultation with the
Ward Chair and Party Chair. If there is a cost for supplying such
materials, the candidate will bear the cost.
3. The bulk mailing permit
is available on a pre-paid basis to all candidates. No credit is allowed
to anyone.
Article XII - ARTICLE XI -
Parliamentary Authority
Party meetings shall be conducted according to the latest edition of
Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, unless these bylaws provide to
the contrary.
Article XIII - ARTICLE XII -
Amendments
Amendment may be made to these bylaws at any regular general or
annual meeting, providing the amendment has been previously submitted in
writing at a general meeting, and there is a favorable vote of 2/3 of
those members present and voting at the second meeting. The text of the
proposed amendment shall be included in the mailed notice of the
second meeting.
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