Adopted on November 10, 2005
By‑Laws of the Republican City Committee of Burlington, VT
Article I ‑ Name
The name of this organization shall be the Republican City Committee of Burlington, Vermont, herein called the Committee.
Article II ‑ Purpose
The object and purpose of the Committee shall be to promote the ideals and principles of the Republican Party at the state and local level through the election of duly nominated candidates, and by doing so, aid our government in the City and the State to function as a more effective democracy. The Committee shall advance the platform as adopted by the Vermont Republican Party Biennial State Platform Convention. In addition, the Committee will work to advance the public policy directions as expressed by resolution or by the platform its members may adopt under these By‑laws. The Committee shall encourage and promote the involvement of the citizens of Burlington in the Republican Party.
Article III ‑ Membership
In conformity with 17 VSA. Sec. 2304, at the time and place set for city caucus, the voters of the party residing in the town shall meet in caucus and proceed to elect a city committee, consisting of such number of voters of the city as the caucus deems necessary to serve during the following two years. Additional members of the City Committee may be elected by the city committee at any meeting, and may be eligible to vote on matters before the city committee at that meeting or at the next meeting, as determined by members of the committee before the election.
Within 72 hours after the caucus, the chairman and secretary of the town committee shall mail to the secretary of state, the chairmen of the state and county committees, and the town (city) clerk a copy of the notice calling the meeting and a certified list of the names and mailing addresses of the officers and members of the Committee and of the delegates to the county committee pursuant to 17 V.S.A. sec. 2307 or any subsequently applicable statutory provision.
Article IV – Officers
The officers of the Committee shall consist of a chairperson, vice‑chairperson, secretary, finance director, treasurer, and assistant treasurer. These officers shall hold office for a two year term.
Article V – Quorum
A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of ten (10) members of the Committee.
Article VI – Voting
A. Procedure:
At the time and place set for the meeting, the Committee shall proceed to nominate such candidates as it may desire for the offices of Mayor and Justices of the Peace. Nomination shall require a majority of those present and voting, and if no candidate shall have received a majority after two ballots, the candidate with the lowest number of votes in the second and in each succeeding ballot shall be eliminated until a candidate receives a majority. Voting shall be by secret ballot and proxies are prohibited.
B. Eligibility to Participate and Vote in Nominating Caucuses:
Any registered voter who resides in the City of Burlington, in the case of a citywide nomination, or any registered voter who resides in the respective ward, in the case of an election for a position limited to that ward, shall be eligible to vote in a caucus duly warned for that purpose, so long as that person: 1) does not currently hold membership in another organized party’s committee, or 2) has not voted in another party’s caucus for the
same nomination in the same election.
Article VII ‑ Committee organization and election of officers
A. The Committee will organize in September of the odd‑numbered years on the date and according to the regulations prescribed by the State Chairperson. The order of business of the caucus shall be:
1. The Caucus shall elect a temporary chairperson and secretary.
2. The secretary shall read the list of all ward committee members plus any other names nominated to serve on the City Committee
3. The Caucus, after having determined the membership of the Committee, shall then adjourn.
B. The first meeting of the Committee shall be held immediately following adjournment of the Caucus. At this meeting the order of business shall be:
1. The election of the officers of the Committee
2. The election of the delegates and alternates to the County Committee.
C. The first meeting of the Ward committees shall be held after adjournment of the city committee.
Article VIII ‑ Election of City Members to the County Committee
The candidates for the County Committee shall be nominated as follows: The secretary shall prepare a list of all persons who notify him/her of their candidacy prior to the organizational meeting of the City Committee. This list shall be placed in nomination at the meeting. Nominations from the floor at the meeting will also be accepted.
Article IX ‑ Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of six executive officers of the City Committee. They shall remain impartial in the primary campaign of any candidate seeking a nomination conferred by the City Committee or any Ward Committee, or for any City‑wide office, or seat in the State House of Representatives for a District which encompasses any portion of the City of Burlington. No member of the Executive Committee may participate in any campaign for an individual who has opposition from a Republican nominee for any office.
Article X ‑ Chairperson
The chairperson shall be the general executive officer of the Committee. It shall be his/her duty to insure that the office of the State Republican Committee receives a list of all members of the Committee, including officers thereof, and the chairperson shall pass this list to the chairperson’s successor in office. The chairperson shall add or subtract from the same to keep the list up to date and make it available to any Committee member upon request. The chairperson shall preside at all Committee meetings, and it shall be the chairperson’s duty to send notice of all meetings by U.S. mail, postage pre‑paid, or electronically to members of the Committee who consent to accept electronic notice, to all Committee members at least seven days prior to a meeting of the committee. It shall be the chairperson’s duty to see that caucuses are held in accordance with legal requirements of the State.
Article XI ‑ Vice‑Chairperson
The vice‑chairperson shall be vested with all the powers and shall perform all the duties of the chairperson in the absence of the chairperson.
Article XII ‑ Secretary
The secretary shall be the recording officer of the Committee and shall keep a complete and accurate record of the Committee meetings. It shall be the duty of the secretary to make these minutes available to any member of the Committee upon request. The secretary shall certify to the city clerk, the county committee Chairperson and to the state committee chairperson, the name and addresses of the Committee members and officers.
Article XIII – Finance Director, Treasurer, and Assistant Treasurer
A. The Finance Director will work with the other members of the city committee to raise the necessary funds for the city party to function.
B. The Treasurer shall keep a full and accurate account and record of all receipts and disbursements and shall deposit all monies in the name of the Committee in a federally‑insured credit union, bank, or savings and loan association, s/he shall disburse the funds of the Committee as may be ordered by the chairperson. S/he shall render to the chairperson and to the Executive Committee periodic reports of his/her transactions as Treasurer, and of the financial condition of the Committee.
C. The Assistant Treasurer shall have all the powers and responsibilities stipulated in Article XIII. B. and shall serve as Treasurer in the absence or disability of the Treasurer.
Article XIV – Meetings
The chairperson may call a meeting of the Committee at any time upon written notice to each member of the Committee, sent either by U.S. Postal Service, postage pre-paid or electronically to those members who consent to accept electronic notice, at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting. Upon written request of ten (10) or more Committee members, the chairperson shall call a meeting and send written notice of said meeting at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting date.
Article XV ‑ Duties of the City Committee
The immediate governance and direction of the affairs of the Republican Party in Burlington shall be vested in the Committee. The Committee members shall attend all meetings of the Committee and shall maintain a close liaison with the county committee.
Article XVI – Resignations
Any committee member or officer may resign at any time. Such resignation shall be made in writing and shall take effect at any time specified therein or if no time is specified, then it shall take effect upon receipt by the chairperson or the secretary, who shall record the resignation. The acceptance of the resignation by the vote of the Committee shall not be necessary to make it effective.
Article XVII ‑ Filling of vacancies of officers
Any vacancies on the Executive Committee shall be filled temporarily by majority vote of the Executive Committee until a meeting duly called of the Committee for the purpose of electing a replacement to fill the unexpired term of the vacant position or at the next regular meeting.
Article XVIII – Ward Committees
There shall be established in each ward of the City a Ward Committee, which shares the purpose of the City Committee as stated in Article II.
A. Membership: The Ward Committees shall be composed of every Republican residing within a ward who has submitted their name either orally or in writing at either the biennial reorganization meetings or a nominating caucus for City offices. Additional members may be added by vote of the Ward Committee at any ward
committee meeting. These new members may be eligible to vote immediately, if so determined by the Committee before their elections
B. Officers: Each Ward will elect a Chairperson and a Secretary
C. Quorum: a quorum shall be determined by the individual ward committees.
D. Voting: As per Article VI.
E. Committee organization and election of officers
The order of business shall be:
1. Election of a temporary chairperson and secretary.
2. Submission of names for ward committee membership
3. Reading of the roll
4. Election of Chairperson and Secretary of the Ward Committee.
In the event of a contest for any office, voting shall be as prescribed by Article VI.
F. Duties of the ward chairperson: The chairperson shall be the general executive officer of the Ward Committee. It shall be the chairperson’s duty to maintain an updated list of all committee members and to provide a copy of the list to the City Chairperson
G. Duties of the secretary: as per Article XII with deletion of the last sentence
J. Meetings: may be called at any time by the ward chairperson or the City Chairperson with seven (7) days notice, or at the request of five (5) or more members of the committee. In any case, there shall be no less than one meeting a year. The City executive committee will be informed of any meetings called by the ward chairperson and invited to such.
K. Duties of the Ward Committees: as per article XV
L. Resignations: as per article XVI I
M. Filling of vacancies: as per article XVII, except that if no person has been appointed after a position has been vacated for thirty days, the Ward Executive Committee may fill the vacancy pursuant to a majority vote of its members at any meeting.
Article XXI ‑ Amendments
These by‑laws may be amended by a simple majority vote of those present and voting at any meeting of the Committee, provided that either:
1. written notice of the proposed amendment is given to all committee members at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting; or
2. at any meeting at which consideration of amendments to these by‑laws is being considered after proper notice has been delivered as prescribed in sub‑part I above, additional amendments may be submitted to the Committee for its consideration upon approval by two thirds of the members present at the meeting.
All rules, by‑laws and amendments shall be filed with the secretary of state, and the copies shall be official copies.
Article XXII – Miscellaneous
Questions of parliamentary procedure, if not herein provided for, shall be decided in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, Revised
