By-Laws of the Moffat County Republican Central Committee
ARTICLE I. NAME. This organization shall be known as the
"Moffat County Republican Central Committee."
ARTICLE II.
OBJECTIVES. The objectives of the Central Committee shall be as follows:
A. To provide a vehicle for the recognition and accomplishment
of sound government in Moffat County, the State of Colorado, and the
United States of America.
B. To have a strong Republican
organization staffed by persons dedicated to the Republican philosophies
and principles.
C. To educate electors in the principles of, and
to enlist them in, the Republican Party.
D. To disseminate
political information about the affairs of our Country and to define the
issues at stake.
E. To encourage the selection of the best
candidates possible.
F. To support all Republican Party
candidates who are unopposed or have been nominated by the primary
election process.
G. To raise funds for the Republican Party.
H. To encourage citizens to exercise their American right to
vote, and be involved in the political process.
ARTICLE III.
POLICY.
Section 1. All provisions of the statutes of the State
of Colorado applicable to party organizations and party central
committees shall be considered a part of these By-Laws and shall
supersede any provisions herein in conflict therewith. (Colorado
Election Code- Title 1 Article 43 Section 122 Inclusive)
Section
2. No Republican candidate for any designation or nomination for public
office shall be endorsed, supported or opposed by members of the
Executive Committee prior to the primary, unless such candidate is
unopposed.
Section 3. The Moffat County Republican Central
Committee shall be referred to herein as the "Central Committee".
ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP.
Section 1. The regular voting
members of the Central Committee shall be:
a. The elected
officers of the Central Committee;
b. The Republican precinct
committeemen and committeewomen of Moffat County;
c. The
chairman or president of other affiliated Moffat County Republican
organizations; as determined by the Central Committee;
d. The
elected Republican county public officials, the state senators and
representatives, the United States senators and representatives, the
elected state public officials and the district attorney who meet the
criteria of Article IV, Section3.
Section 2. All Republican
elected county public officials, state senators and representatives,
elected state public officials and district attorney who reside out of
the County and shall be non-voting members of the Central Committee.
Section 3. All voting members shall reside and be registered as
Republicans in the County.
ARTICLE V. MEETINGS.
Section
1. Required Meetings.
a. The organizational meeting for the
Central Committee shall be held between the 1st and 15th of February of
the odd-numbered years. Its purpose shall be to elect a chairman,
vice-chairman, secretary and treasurer, and to conduct other business
that may properly come before it.
b. The Central Committee shall
also meet on the Tuesday immediately preceding the date of the County
Assembly and/or Convention for the purpose of considering the
recommendations of the resolutions committee; other appropriate
resolutions and to conduct other business that may properly come before
it.
Section 2. Other meetings (regular and special) shall be
held;
a. At the time and place designated by the Central
Committee, or
b. Upon the call of the chairman, vice-chairman or
(in the event of an emergency, when both the chairman and vice-chairman
are absent) upon the call of the secretary; or
c. Upon the
written request of one-third of the voting members. The meeting shall be
called by the chairman within ten (10) days after receipt of such a
request. The meeting shall be held within fifteen (15) days of the call.
Section 3. Official call.
a. The official call shall be
in writing, including email, and mailed to the last address of each
member on file with the secretary.
b. The mailing shall be made
no fewer than ten (10) days before the date of the meeting.
c.
The call shall state the time and place of the meeting; and the business
to be conducted. Business of the meeting shall not necessarily be
limited to matters stated in the call, except in case of a special
meeting.
Section 4. Voting.
a. Voting, with the
exception of the election of officers, shall be by voice or rising vote.
b. A person holding multiple office shall not be entitle to more
than one vote.
Section 5. Quorum.
A quorum shall consist
of twenty percent of the Executive and Central Committee.
ARTICLE VI. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
Section 1. The Executive
Committee shall consist of the chairman, vice-chairman, secretary,
treasurer.
Section 2. Duties.
a. The duties of the
Executive Committee shall be to serve as an advisory committee to the
Central Committee, and to perform other duties as directed by the
chairman or as described in these by-laws.
b. The Executive
Committee shall promote harmony.
c. The Executive Committee
shall decide by majority vote whether sufficient evidence exists to
declare a vacancy on the Central Committee because of permanent absence
or disability.
d. The Executive Committee shall hear and
determine party controversies other than delegate contests.
Section 3. Meetings.
a. Executive Committee meetings shall
convene upon the call of the chairman. When necessary, meetings can also
be called by another member of the Executive Committee. The purpose of
the meeting shall be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency,
at least ten (10) days notice shall be given.
b. Meetings may be
open at the discretion of the chairman, or majority vote of the members
present and voting.
Section 4. Voting.
a. Voting shall
be by regular members only, in person or by proxy.
b. At every
meeting of the Central Committee, each regular member shall be entitled
to one vote on any matter brought before the Central Committee. The
affirmative vote of a majority of regular members represented at any
meeting for which a quorum has been established shall be the act of the
Central Committee.
c. The manner of voting shall be by a voice
vote unless a roll call or secret ballot is requested by any one of the
regular members present.
d. Any regular member of the Central
Committee may vote at any meeting thereof by proxy provided the
following requirements are met:
1) The proxy shall be in
writing, dated and signed by the member;
2) The individual
designated in and by the proxy shall be a registered Republican who
shall reside in the same precinct or be a member of the same
organization as the member except that proxies form elected officials
may be voted regardless of precinct residence;
3) The proxy
shall be delivered to the presiding officer of the meeting prior to the
vote to which it applies and shall apply to a single meeting; and
4) The proxy shall not be voted if the member is present at the
meeting. Any member of the Central Committee shall have the right to
examine the proxies prior to the taking of the vote.
ARTICLE
VII. OFFICERS AND DUTIES.
Section 1. Officers.
a. The
elected officers shall be chairman, vice-chairman, secretary/treasurer,
or secretary and treasurer.
b. The officers shall reside, and be
registered Republicans, within the county.
c. The officers shall
assume their duties at the close of the organizational meeting and shall
serve for term of two years, or until their successors are elected.
d. Where new officers are elected, all existing records shall be
turned over to them within two (2) weeks.
Section 2. Duties.
a. The chairman shall: 1. Be the chief executive officer of the
Central Committee. 2. Issue the call at all meetings of the Central
Committee, the executive committee and the vacancy committee. 3.
Observe and enforce the by-laws and rules of the Central Committee.
4. Appoint all standing and special committees. 5. Be an ex-officio
member of all committees. 6. Perform functions as outlined in the
Colorado State By-Laws, Article XVI; Rules for Counties and Districts,
Sections (a), (b), and (c):
(a) Instruct the secretary to provide
the Colorado Secretary of State and the Colorado Republican Central
Committee chairman with a list of officers in Moffat County. (b)
Provide a list of all candidates for public office in Moffat County to
the chairman of the Colorado Republican Central Committee. (c)
Provide a written list authenticating all delegates and alternates
elected by Moffat County to any state of congressional convention,
specifying the numerical order in which alternates were elected to the
Colorado Republican Central Committee chairman and to the appropriate
district chairman.
b. The Vice-Chairman shall: 1. Exercise
the functions of the chairman in his absence, during his inability to
perform, or at his request. 2. Perform other duties the chairman may
prescribe.
c. The Secretary shall: 1. Be the chief clerical
officer of the Central Committee and executive committee proceedings.
2. Have ready, at least three days prior to the convening of each county
assembly and/or convention, a temporary roll of the delegates entitled
to participate, with copies of the Central Committee officers. The roll
shall be prepared from the credentials of uncontested delegates placed
upon the temporary roll by the Central Committee. 3. Serve as
secretary at all county assemblies and/or conventions. 4. Prepare and
verify all credentials for delegates and certificates showing
designations made by the county assembly and/or conventions. 5.
Perform other duties the chairman may prescribe.
d. The
Treasurer shall: 1. Be custodian of all funds, financial books,
papers, records, and proceedings of the Central Committee and the
Republican county assembly and/or convention, and report to the Central
Committee when, and as, the committee requires. 2. File a quarterly
treasurer's report with the Central Committee. 3. File all financial
reports, as required by law. 4. Perform other duties the chairman may
prescribe. 5. An audit committee will be appointed by the chairperson
in November of preceding year and an annual report given to the central
committee at the organizational meeting in February.
ARTICLE
VIII. REMOVAL FROM OFFICE.
Section 1.
a. In the event of
a vacancy in any elected office of the Central Committee (chairman,
vice-chairman, secretary or treasurer), the members of the Central
Committee shall constitute the vacancy committee. Within thirty (30)
days of the vacancy the committee shall meet and propose any
candidate(s) to fill such vacancy. Formal approval and/or election of
any candidate(s) selected by the vacancy committee must take place at a
special meeting of the Central Committee called for such purpose, within
the time specified. A quorum of the Central Committee is required.
b. In the event of a vacancy in any elected office where, under law
or in terms of protocol, a vacancy committee either has the right to
appoint a successor or to recommend who should be appointed as a
successor, the Central Committee may appoint such a vacancy committee at
the organizational meeting held as required by Article V, Section 1 (a).
Whether or not the matter is formally considered at such organizational
meetings, if no such vacancy committee is selected, the automatically
and without formal action, the members of the Central Committee shall
constitute such vacancy committee.
Section 2. Precinct committee
person vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the chairperson from
a list provided by the vacancy committee. This appointment will expire
on the date of the next precinct caucus and committee person election.
Section 3. A precinct committee person position may be declared
vacant when:
a. The committee person resigns.
b. The
committee person has failed to attend two (2) consecutive Central
Committee meetings without being excused by the chairperson.
c.
No longer resides in the precinct.
ARTICLE X. NOMINATIONS.
Section 1. Executive Committee nominations shall be made as follows:
a. A nominating committee shall be formed to name a complete
slate of officers for the Republican Central Committee.
b.
Candidates for officers may be nominated from the floor of the
organizational meeting.
c. Nominations for any office shall be
made only by members of the Central Committee in person.
Section
2. Elections.
Officers shall be elected by majority vote, using
a secret ballot, unless there is only one nominee for the office. In
that case, election shall be by voice vote.
ARTICLE XI.
SUB-COMMITTEES. The chairman shall appoint the following sub-committees:
a. Assemblies and Caucus Committee; b. Finance Committee; and
c. Resolutions Committee. d. Audit Committee
The chairman
may appoint such other sub-committees as may be deemed necessary and
they shall serve as long as needed to accomplish their purpose. Chairmen
or members of any sub-committee need not be members of the Central
Committee provided they are registered Republicans of Moffat County.
ARTICLE XII. PRECINCT CAUCUSES.
Section 1. Precinct caucuses
shall be held on the date prescribed by the state (CRS 1-3-102)
(typically the second Tuesday in April), in even-numbered years, at a
place proximate to each precinct determined by the Central Committee,
and as posted as required by law, or such other time as required by law.
Section 2. Voting members shall have been:
a. A resident
of the precinct for at least thirty days (30) days; and b. Registered
as a Republican for at least two (2) months, as shown by the
registration books of the County Clerk and Recorder. However, any
registered Republican who has attained the age of eighteen (18) years,
or has become a naturalized citizen, within the two (2) months
immediately preceding the caucus, may be a candidate for precinct office
even though he or she has been affiliated with the Republican party for
less than two (2) months. c. An elector who moves from the precinct
during the 29 days prior to the caucus may participate and vote at the
precinct caucus, but shall not be eligible as a delegate or nomination
as precinct committee person in the former precinct. (CRS 1-3-101)
Section 3. Procedure.
a. Elect a chairman and secretary for
the caucus.
b. Elect the number of delegates and alternates to
the county assembly and/or convention stated in the call published by
the Central Committee.
1. Majority vote shall elect. 2. A tie
for the last available place shall be determined by lot. 3.
Cumulative voting (which allows an elector to give more than one vote to
a single candidate) shall not be permitted. 4. Any person who has
indicated in writing to one of his precinct committeepersons in advance
of the caucus a desire to serve as a delegate to the county assembly and
who is unable to be present at the precinct caucus shall be eligible to
be elected a delegate or alternate.
c. Elect two precinct
committee people (Colorado Election Laws 1-3-102) to serve for a term of
two (2) years after the date of election.
1. Majority vote shall
elect. 2. A tie shall be determined by lot. 3. The names of
committee people elected shall be certified to the county assembly by
the officers the caucus. (1-3-102). 4. In case of vacancy of elected
committee people who has moved from the precinct, or in the event of
death, etc., replacement shall be selected by the chairman of the
Central Committee to complete that term of office, to be ratified by
members of the Central Committee at their next meeting.
d.
Determine the nominees for delegates to higher assemblies and/or
conventions, as required in Article XII, Section 3.
e. The
results of the elections and nominations shall be certified by the
precinct caucus chairman or secretary and the results transmitted in
written form to the secretary of Central Committee within three (3) days
after the precinct caucus in held.
ARTICLE XIII. DELEGATES TO
PARTY ASSEMBLIES.
Section 1. Delegates to the county assembly
shall be elected at the precinct caucuses to be held at a time and place
to be fixed by the Central Committee pursuant to law. The county
assembly shall be held not less than ten not more than thirty days after
such precinct caucuses. The Central Committee shall fix the number of
delegates from each precinct to participate in the county assembly. The
persons receiving the highest number of votes at the precinct caucus
shall be the delegates to the county assembly from each precinct. In the
case of a tie, the delegate shall be selected by lot.
Section 2.
At the time of electing the delegates to the county assembly, the
precinct caucus shall also elect two committee persons. The two people
receiving the highest number of votes shall be the elected committee
persons. Ties shall be broken by casting lots. The names of the
committee persons shall be certified to the county assembly by the
officers of the caucus. The presiding officer and secretary of the
county assembly shall file a certified list of names and addresses of
those persons elected, by precinct, with the County Clerk and Recorder
of Moffat County within ten days after the county assembly.
ARTICLE XIV. ASSEMBLIES AND CONVENTIONS.
Section 1. County
assemblies and conventions. Timing and number of delegates. County
assemblies and/or conventions shall be held not less than ten (10) days,
or more than thirty (30) days, after the precinct caucuses, at the time
and place determined by the Central Committee, or as otherwise
determined by State Law.
a. All delegates and alternates to
Moffat County assemblies and conventions, and to those assemblies or
conventions of senatorial and representative districts wholly contained
within Moffat County, shall be selected at their precinct caucuses,
according to Colorado statutes. The number of delegates and alternates
are fixed by the Central Committee, and shall be proportionally based on
the Republican affiliation precinct statistics report provided by the
County Clerk. The number shall be fixed based on two (2) percent of all
registered republicans per precinct; each precinct will have a minimum
of two (2) delegates. The list of delegates and alternates shall be
certified by the precinct caucus chairman or secretary and the results
transmitted in written form to the secretary of the Central Committee
within five (5) days after the precinct caucus is held, or such
delegation shall not be seated.
b. The call for the county
assembly and/or convention shall include (in addition to the time, place
and purpose) a statement of the number of delegates to be elected to the
State and district assemblies and conventions. At the request of the
chairman, or any district lying wholly within such county, the call for
the county assembly and/or convention shall include the call for the
assembly of such district.
Section 2. Other assemblies.
All other assemblies shall be held no later than fifty-five (55) days
before the primary election date.
Section 3. Delegates.
Any delegate or alternate nominated to attend higher assemblies and/or
conventions:
a. Should have attended his precinct caucus and
county assembly and/or convention.
b. Must have been elected a
delegate or alternate from his precinct to the Moffat County assembly
and/or convention.
c. Must receive the endorsement of the
plurality of persons present at the precinct caucus meeting from which
he is nominated. Nominations from each precinct shall be in numerical
order of caucus preference. The list of nominations shall be postmarked,
or delivered, to the secretary of the Moffat County Republican Central
Committee within three (3) days after the caucus.
Section 4.
Precinct Committee people.
The presiding officer and secretary
of the county assembly shall file a certified list of the names and
addresses, by precinct, of those persons elected as precinct committee
people with the County Clerk and Recorder, within ten (10) days after
the date of the county assembly. (Colorado Election Laws. 1-3-102).
Section 5. Resolutions.
Before any resolution may be
considered by the county assembly and/or convention, it shall be
referred to the resolutions committee of such body prior to the report
of the resolutions committee.
a. The purpose of the resolutions
committee and the Central Committee in considering possible resolutions
under this Section shall be to prevent those resolutions which are
reasonable determined to be profane, salacious, libelous or otherwise
without any reasonable merit from being presented and considered. As to
other resolutions, the purpose is to create a mechanism whereby the
substance of such resolutions and fair and balance information
concerning their purpose (including, where appropriate and necessary,
pro and con statements) will be prepared and made available to the
delegates prior to their presentation and consideration.
b.
Permitted resolutions. Only the following resolutions will be eligible
for consideration at the county assembly/or convention:
1. Those
proposed and ultimately approved under the provisions of sub-paragraphs
(c) and (d), below; and
2. Other resolutions presented and
ultimately approved by the Central Committee at the meeting held under
the provisions of Article V, Section 1 (b) .
c. Resolutions
adopted by various Republican Central Committees throughout the State
and submitted to the Moffat County Central Committee for possible
adoption need not be considered by the resolutions committee and may,
rather, be considered by the Central Committee as a whole at the meeting
held under the provisions of Article V, Section 1 (b). However, as to
such resolutions, the chairman of the Central Committee shall have the
option to refer any such resolution to the resolutions committee for its
recommendations.
d. Resolutions which have been considered and
passed by affirmative vote at a precinct caucus and which have been
evaluated by the resolutions committee and approved by the Central
Committee under the provisions of Article V, Section 1 (b).
e.
In its evaluation of resolutions referred to it the resolutions
committee shall be guided by the above statement of purpose and may;
1. Recommend the rejection of the proposed resolution; or 2.
Recommend the presentation of the resolution as drafted, passed or
submitted; or 3. Redraft the resolution and recommend its
presentation as so redrafted. In so redrafting, the meaning or intent
shall not be changed but the purpose shall be only to clarify the intent
and meaning of the resolution to facilitate its consideration.
f. As to meritorious resolutions which the resolutions committee
believes are too lengthy or overbroad for meaningful consideration, it
may require their condensations by the proponent or may themselves,
prepare a condensed statement of the resolution for submission.
g. As to any resolution recommended for presentation, the resolutions
committee may also prepare and recommend the simultaneous presentation
of short pro and con statements explaining the rationale and/or possible
effect of both sides of any controversial or complicated issue to which
the resolution may be directed.
h. The recommendations of the
resolutions committee shall be directed to the Central Committee and
shall be considered at the meeting held under the provisions of Article
V, Section 1 (b).
i. The Central Committee shall consider all
proper resolutions before it at the meeting held under the provisions of
Article V, Section (b), utilizing the above criteria and make the final
decision concerning whether or not any proposed resolution will be
presented at the county assembly and/or convention. Any resolution which
achieves a thirty (30) percent affirmative vote of those in attendance
at said meeting shall be presented to the county assembly and/or
convention. The action so taken by the Central Committee in this regard
shall be final.
j. A copy of the resolution and all other
relevant and approved information shall be prepared and made available
to each precinct at the county assembly and/or convention.
Section 6. Voting in Assemblies and Conventions.
a. County
assembly and/or convention members shall vote, form the compiled list of
nominees, for delegates and alternates to attend higher assemblies
and/or conventions. The persons elected are to be those receiving the
highest number of votes sufficient to fill the required number of
delegates and alternates to the assemblies and/or conventions. A
delegate or alternate who moves from the county thereafter shall become
ineligible to serve as delegate or alternate to such assembly and/or
convention.
b. No proxies shall be allowed or recognized in any
assembly and/or convention. Any vacancy shall be filled by an alternate
present from that precinct, selected from the list of alternates by
numerical order, beginning with the first alternate.
c. What is
commonly known as the "unit rule", which the entire vote of a delegation
is cast according to the majority vote within the delegation, shall not
be enforced nor adhered to. Cumulative voting shall not be permitted.
Percentages will be determined on the basis of the number of delegates
credentialed and seated at the outset of the convention or assembly.
Such number is to be announced by the chairman. If a candidate receives
within 5% of the required percentage, all votes will be automatically
recounted.
ARTICLE XV. FINANCE.
Section 1. Funds for the
operation of the program of the Central Committee shall be provided by
the voluntary donations and/or any fund-raising effort which has prior
approval of the Central Committee.
Section 2. All disbursal of
funds shall be approved by the Central Committee prior to the
expenditure.
Section 3. The fiscal year shall be the calendar
year.
ARTICLE XVI. AMENDMENTS.
These by-laws may be
amended at any regular or special meeting of the Central Committee,
properly called, by a two-thirds vote of the regular members present in
person or by proxy; provided, however, that the Call of said meeting
shall have contained therein notice of the proposed amendment (s)
together with a copy of the provision(s) to be amended.
ARTICLE
XVII. PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE.
Section 1. "Roberts Rules of
Order Newly Revised" shall govern the Central Committee whenever they
are applicable and not inconsistent with these by-laws, the by-laws of
the Colorado Republican State Central Committee or the Colorado Election
Laws.
Section 2. Those persons entitled to recognition by the
chairman at the county assembly and/or convention are as follows:
a. Duly credentialed and seated delegates; and, b. Any member of
the Moffat County Central Committee; and, c. Any other person who,
upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the credentialed and seated
delegates is permitted to be recognized. (See footnote below.)
Footnote: It is anticipated that, as a matter of procedure at the
beginning of the county assembly and/or convention, the Chairman will
entertain a motion to allow recognition of those Republican elected
officials and candidates (or their representatives) who are in
attendance and who wish to speak.
ARTICLE XVIII. ADOPTION OF
BY-LAWS.
These by-laws were adopted by a majority vote of the
persons eligible to vote at the organizational meeting of the Central
Committee held on this 14th day of September, 2004. The following
officers of the Central Committee hereby certify these by-laws as those
passed upon and adopted.