Rules of the County Committee of the Democratic Party

of the County of Fulton, State of New York

(Adopted March 14,2002)

 

As the duly elected or appointed members of the County Committee of the Democratic Party of Fulton County, New York, we do hereby adopt and accept the succeeding rules for the purpose of assuring the most efficient and effective operation of the Democratic Party of Fulton County and to thereby bring about the maximum service to and involvement in government by enrolled Democrats to the benefit of all the residents of Fulton County.

 

Rule 1- Membership

The County Committee shall be constituted by the election in each election district of two members, each of whom shall be an enrolled voter of the Democratic Party.

 

Rule 2- Terms of Members

Members of the County Committee shall be elected biennially in each even year, as provided by the N. Y. S. Election Law.

 

Rule 3- Meetings

Meetings of the County Committee shall be called by the Chairman or in his/her absence or inability to act, by the Vice-Chairman.

 

Meetings may also be called upon the written request of at least 25% of the actual membership of the County Committee presented to the Secretary.

 

Upon receipt of a call for a meeting, the Secretary shall send a notice of the time, place, and purpose to each member of the Committee. The Secretary shall endeavor to have the notice received at least five working days prior to the day of said meeting.

 

Rule 4- Quorum

A quorum of the County Committee shall consist of 25% of the actual membership of the committee at the time the quorum is called for, but those present at any regularly called meeting may adjourn such meeting or any adjournment thereof to any specified time.

 

 

 

Rule 5- Open Meetings

Meetings of the County Committee and city and town committees shall be open to all enrolled voters of the Democratic Party, who may attend but have no vote.

 

Rule 6- Organizational Meeting

The order of business of meetings held pursuant to Rule 7, Rule 8, or Rule 9 shall be, to the extent practical, as follows:

1.         Call of the roll of members

2.         Election of officers

3.         Adoption of rules or amendments thereof

4.         Unfinished business

5.         Filling of vacancies

6.         New business

7.         Adjournment

 

Rule 7- Election of Officers

The officers of the County Committee shall be Chairman, Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman, Third Vice Chairman (at least one of the foregoing shall be of the opposite gender from the others), Treasurer, and Secretary. The officers shall be elected by a majority of the members voting at the organizational meeting of said Committee, to be held within twenty days after election of the members thereof, upon the call of the outgoing Chairman, by mailing of a written notice thereof, to be received by said members at least five working days prior to the date of such meeting. Outgoing officers shall perform the usual duties of their respective offices until their successors are elected.

Election of all officers shall be by secret ballot at any time there be more than one nominee for the office.

 

In the case of a vacancy by death, resignation, removal, or other cause in the office of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman, Treasurer, or Secretary, such vacancy shall be filled by election at a special meeting of the County Committee called for the purpose. In the case of a vacancy in the office of Chairman only, said meeting shall take place no later than thirty days after the vacancy occurs. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Chairman, the duties specified in rule 11 shall devolve to the Vice Chairman, or in the absence thereof, to the Second Vice Chairman. Notice of said meeting shall be by mail, and shall be received by each member at least five working days prior to the date of said meeting. At a special meeting to fill vacancies, secret ballots shall be used at any time there be more than one nominee for the office.

 

Only members of the County Committee in good standing who have attended at least 50% of the meetings of their previous year's term may be allowed to vote by proxy. The proxy, signed and dated by the committee member concerned, may be voted only by another committee member. Only one proxy may be voted by a committee member on behalf of an absent member.

 

Rule 8- City Committees

There shall be a City Committee in each city consisting of the members of the County Committee representing said city, who shall perform all the acts necessary to the furtherance of the goals and objectives of the Democratic Party within said city. Each City Committee shall meet and organize within twenty days after the election of the members therefore, by the election of a Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, and any additional officers.

 

Rule 9- Town Committees

There shall be a Town Committee in each township, consisting of the members of the County Committee representing said township, who shall perform all the acts necessary to the furtherance of the goals and objectives of the Democratic Party within said township. Each Town Committee shall meet and organize within twenty days after the election of the members therefore, by the election of a Chairman and any additional officers.

 

Rule 10- Executive Committee

There shall be an Executive Committee consisting of the Chairman, Vice Chairman, Second Vice Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary, City Chairmen, Town Chairmen, members of the N. Y. S. Democratic Committee, Election Commissioner, and Committee Counsel (who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Chairman). Each individual shall have one vote.

 

In addition there shall be no more than three ex-officio members (who shall be appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Chairman). Ex-officio members shall serve without vote.

 

 

 

Rule 11 - Duties of Chairman The Chairman shall:

1. Be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the County Committee.

 

2.         Be the representative of the County Committee to the N. Y. S. Democratic Committee as required.

 

3.         Preside at all meetings of the County Committee and the Executive Committee.

 

4.         Appoint the membership of all Standing and Special Committees.

 

5.         Encourage and assist the active and productive workings of the City and Town Committees.

6.         Direct the payment of all just debts of the County Committee subject to the limitation that the Chairman shall not incur debt on behalf of the County Committee in amounts beyond those which the Executive Committee shall from time to time prescribe.

 

7.         Attest to and be responsible for the filing of all official undertakings of the County Committee pursuant to the N. Y. S. Election Law.

 

8.                  Perform such other duties as may be required by N. Y. S. Election Law.

 

 

Rule 12 - Duties of Vice Chairman and Second Vice Chairman The Vice Chairman and Second Vice Chairman Shall:

1. Assist the Chairman in carrying out the goals and objectives of the County Committee as required.

 

 

Rule 13- Duties of Treasurer The Treasurer shall:

1.         Be responsible for the care and custody of all assets of the County Committee.

 

2.         Ensure the payment of all just debts of the County Committee upon the direction of the Chairman and/or the Executive Committee.

 

3.         Advise and assist the Finance Committee in the carrying out of its duties and responsibilities.

 

4.         Keep accurate and complete records and make such reports as may be necessary to inform the members of the County Committee of its financial status.

 

5.         Prepare and file such reports as may be required by N. Y. S. Election Law.

 

Rule 14 - Duties of Secretary The Secretary shall:

1.         Take and report the minutes of all meetings of the County Committee and the Executive Committee.

 

2.         Be responsible for the custody and preservation of all records of the County Committee.

 

3.         Prepare and send such notices as may be required elsewhere herein.

 

4.         Attest to and be responsible for the filing of such undertakings of the County Committee pursuant to the N. Y. S. Election Law as the Chairman may direct.

 

Rule 15 - Duties of Executive Committee The Executive Committee shall:

1.         Advise and assist the officers of the County Committee in the proper

execution of their duties.

 

2.         Accept and diligently carry out such duties and assignments as the Chairman or

the County Committee may require.

 

3.         Review the operations and activities of all Standing and Special Committees and offer advice and recommendations thereto.

 

4.         Establish limitations on and reasonable plans for the payment of just debts to be incurred by the officers of the County Committee.

 

5.         Have full power and be authorized to take any action which the County Committee is authorized by the N. Y. S. Election Law to take, including the right to nominate candidates for public office, under and by virtue of the provisions of Article 6 thereof.

 

 

Rule 16 - Duties of Committee Members The Members of the County Committee shall:

1.         Carry out the policies, goals, and objectives of the County Committee in their election district.

 

2.         Support all endorsed nominees of the Democratic Party for local, county, state, and federal offices.

 

3.         Serve at all times as the official representative of the County Committee to the enrolled Democrats of the election district from which they were elected or appointed, and with equal importance, serve as the, official representative of the enrolled Democrats of said election district to the County Committee.

 

4.         Provide such assistance to the officers of the County Committee as may be required by them in the execution of their duties and responsibilities.

 

5.         At all times encourage and assist the registration of new Democratic voters in

Fulton County.

 

6.         To be a committee person in good standing they must attend 5 0% of the

County Committee meetings held in their term.

 

Rule 17 - Standing Committees There shall be five Standing Committees.

The names and duties of the committees shall

1.         Finance: Plan for and execute such activities as may be necessary to provide the funds to effectively carry out the goals and objectives of the County Committee.

 

2.         Long Range Planning and Policy: Prepare and keep current a strategic plan to define the goals and objectives of the County Committee and to assure the implementation thereof.

 

3.         Elections: Provide assistance to and encouragement of endorsed Democratic candidates running in countywide elections and provide similar assistance and encouragement of endorsed candidates in city or town elections upon the request of respective City or Town Committee.

 

4.         Screening: Prepare lists of qualified Democratic candidates for recommendation for elective and appointive offices as required. Appointive offices shall include all public boards, commissions, offices, and other governmental employment.

 

5.         Program: Prepare activities to be conducted at meetings of the County Committee to educate and inform the members thereof.

 

 

Rule 18 - Special Committees

The Chairman and/or the County Committee shall create and appoint the membership of such Special Committees as may be needed to carry out the goals and objectives of the County Committee. The term of all Special Committees shall in no event extend beyond the biennial election of officers required by Rule 7, Paragraph 1.

 

Rule 19 - Removal

Removal of any officer or committee member shall be for disloyalty to the Democratic Party, corruption in office, or enrollment in another party, after written charges are heard by the County Committee. Removal shall be made only by a two-thirds majority of the elected and appointed members of the County Committee at the time the motion is made. Removal shall automatically create a vacancy.

 

Rule 20 - Vacancies

In the case of a Committee vacancy by reason of death, resignation, removal, or failure of an election district to elect, the County Committee may, by majority vote of the membership present and voting at a duly called meeting, appoint any enrolled Democratic voter to such vacancy pursuant to the N. Y. S. Election Law. A candidate for appointment to a vacant committee seat shall have his/her name placed into nomination by the Chair of the candidate's respective City or Town Committee where such committee is duly constituted according to Rule 8 or Rule 9 of these bylaws, and where such duly constituted committee has previously met in regular session and voted to appoint said candidate to a vacancy on the City or Town Committee is duly constituted, the nomination may be made from the floor at a full County Committee meeting, with action taken to seat said candidate taken upon the affirmative vote of a simple majority of members present.

 

Rule 21 - Amendment

These rules may be amended from time to time upon majority vote of the qualified membership of the County Committee pursuant to the N. Y. S. Election Law.

 

 

Rule 22 - Subrogations and Separability

Nothing herein stated shall supercede or replace any requirement of the N. Y. S. Election Law of the Rules of the N. Y. S. Democratic Committee.

 

Each separate Rule shall be deemed independent, and if any provision of any Rule shall be declared invalid, all other provisions of said Rule and all other Rules shall remain valid.

 

Rule 23 - Repealed

All Rules previously adopted and now in force are hereby repealed.

 

Rule 24 - Effective Date

These Rules shall take effect immediately upon adoption by the County Committee.