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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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