Hamilton County Municipal League
Constitution and Bylaws of the Hamilton County Municipal League
Name
This organization shall be known as the Hamilton County Municipal League (HCML)
Purpose
The Hamilton County Municipal League shall be a non-partisan, non-profit organization of municipalities in Hamilton County, Ohio. The HCML’s purpose shall be the furtherance of local self-government within the county, the improvement of municipal government and services, and the promotion of the general welfare of the cities and villages of this county by appropriate means. The HCML will provide an opportunity for the municipalities to meet as a group for the discussion of mutual, general, and special problems, responsibilities, influencing Ohio legislation, and to provide training and educational programs as deemed appropriate.
Each municipal member of the HCML shall be represented by it’s mayor, or other official as it’s mayor designates, on and after the payment of an annual membership fee. Membership shall be from the incorporated municipalities of Hamilton County, Ohio. A member who’s dues have not been paid by the annual meeting in January of any year, shall cease to be a member in good standing. No representative of any member municipality not in good standing shall be eligible to hold office or serve as member of the Board of Directors.
Mayors may invite their councilmen, solicitors, or city managers to attend meetings. A mayor may invite a former official to participate in meetings if the experience and knowledge of such former official can add to the study of any problem being considered by the league. Only the mayor or his/her designated representative shall vote for his/her municipality.
Finances
The activities of the HCML shall be financed by membership fees, as determined by the Board of Directors, and confirmed by a simple majority of the membership.
Officers
The officers of the HCML shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Legislative Liaison. Each officer will be elected by the membership for a two (2) year term. Election of officers shall be at the January biennial meeting immediately following municipal elections. Any vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the executive board to serve the remainder of the term. Duties of the officers shall correspond to those which usually devolve such officers.
At the conclusion of business at the biennial meeting, the board of directors shall conduct an organizational meeting. The President may also call meetings at other times as deemed appropriate.
The President shall appoint a four (4) member committee to nominate a slate of officers. Following the announcement of the nominated slate, nominations shall be open to the floor. The vote shall be a written ballot in each case where more than one (1) person is nominated for any office to be filled.
All elected officers shall serve without compensation. The secretary shall submit the cost of printing, mailing, etc., to the executive board and shall be reimbursed for those expenses. Each officer, upon the expiration of his/her term of office, shall turnover to his/her successor all property, books, papers, and money belonging to the HCML in his/her possession.
Board of Directors
There shall be a board of directors consisting of the elected officers and the executive director as ex-officio member. The Board of Directors shall meet not less than three (3) times in each calendar year. Special meetings of the board of directors may be called by the president or by any three members of the board of directors, allowing minimum of five (5) days notification, when possible.
The Board of Directors shall from time to time adopt and amend such regulations as it shall deem advisable concerning the cancellation of membership, discontinuance of services and reinstatement of members not in good standing.
The Board of Directors shall have the authority to appoint an executive director and other hired staff as necessary by a majority of all members. The Board of Directors may, from time to time, appoint or otherwise designate its Executive Director or any other appropriate representative to appear before any group or legislative body in representation of the HCML.
Qualification – Term – Vacancy
Each member of the executive board and each officer of the HCML shall be, at all times during his/her term of office, a qualified official of a member municipality in good standing.
Terms of office for President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Legislative Liaison shall be two (2) years commencing with the election of officers at the biennial meeting. Vacancies shall be filled by the Board of Directors.
Meetings
The first regular meeting of the year shall be the Annual Meeting. Regular business meetings shall be held quarterly on a date, time, and place to be determined by the board of directors.
Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern procedure during the meetings, except in cases of conflict with the constitution, in which the constitution shall prevail.
It shall be the duty of the Secretary to notify members at least ten (10) day prior to meetings. Other meetings may be called by the President, or by written petition to him/her by any five members for a special meeting. Such petition shall state the purpose of the special meeting requested, and suggest the date and place of the meeting. Petitions must allow at least five (5) days to notify the membership and shall require at least 1/3 of the membership to be in attendance at any meeting to make such meeting official.
Voting
Each member municipality in good standing in attendance at any meeting shall be entitled to one (1) vote. All voting in the meetings of the HCML shall be cast by voice unless a roll call is demanded by three or more members. Should the Mayor of a member municipality be unable to attend the meetings, he/she may designate a representative to cast his/her vote providing that a letter of intent is filed with the Secretary giving his/her consent. A majority vote shall be necessary to approve a motion or resolution.
Committees
SECTION 1. APPOINTMENT – The President shall appoint such committees as deemed necessary for the proper conduct of the work of HCML, and shall include committees of:
Finance and Auditing
Legislative
Police and Court
Highway and Traffic Safety
SECTION 2. Tenure – All appointments to committee, unless continued, shall terminate at the next biennial meeting of the HCML.
SECTION 3. Ex-Officio Members – The President shall be ex-officio members of all committees.
SECTION 4. Expenditures – No committee shall create any liability for the HCML unless authorized by the Treasurer and a specific appropriation has been made for such an expenditure.
SECTION 5. Reports – It shall be the duty of the chairman of each appointed committee to prepare a written report , with the aid or approval of the other members of his/her committee and of the president, covering the work performed or conclusions reached by the Committee.
Amendments to Constitution
The constitution may be amended by a 2/3 vote of the members in good standing, present and voting, at any official meeting, or by 2/3 vote of the members voting by written ballot. The written ballot shall state the proposed amendment in full text. The ballot shall contain the same data as mailed ballots. Twenty (20) days after the date contained in the written ballot, voting shall be closed. Any ballot received later than the twentieth day after the date on the ballot shall not be counted. The votes shall be tallied by the President, or a duly authorized representative, and named by the President on, or before, the twenty-fifth (25) day after the date on the ballot.
Amendments to the constitution adopted at the annual meeting shall go into effect immediately. Amendments to the constitution by written ballot shall go into effect thirty-five (35) days after the date on the ballot. Any protest as to the procedure concerning written ballot must be submitted to the Board of Directors not later than thirty-five (35) days after the date on the written ballot. The Board of Directors shall resolve such protests by a majority vote of those members present and voting.
Ohio Municipal League
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