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Home My WebLink AboutSAMPLE Bylaws__________________ County Historical Commission By-Laws Article I Name Name: The name of this organization shall be the ______________ County Historical Commission, hereafter referred to as the Commission. Article II Purpose Purpose: The purpose of the Commission shall be to initiate and conduct programs suggested by the Texas Historical Commission, the ______________ County Commissioners Court, and members of the Commission for the preservation of the historical heritage of the county in compliance with state laws pertaining to historical preservation in Texas. Article III Membership Section 1. Membership. Membership must include at least seven individuals who reside in ______________ County, otherwise it is open to any individual who has an interest in county history. Membership should represent all areas of the county and reflect the diversity of the people. Section 2. Appointments. Members are appointed by the ______________ County Commissioners Court in January of odd-numbered years and serve for a term of two years. Section 3. Term. Members may serve three consecutive terms and may be reappointed after rotating off the Commission for one year. Section 4. Reappointment. Members desiring reappointment must attend at least three Commission meetings per year and actively work on a committee, task force or project. Section 5. Vacancy. In-term vacancies may be appointed by the Commission Chairperson and will serve until the next regular appointment date. Section 6. Resignation. Any member may resign by filing a written resignation with the Chairperson, who shall, in turn, inform the County Commissioners Court of such resignation in the first Annual Report following the resignation. Section 7 Ex-Officio status, non-voting members shall include the County Judge, the County Commissioners, and the director of the _____________ County Historical Museum or any other organization that should be a partner of the County Historical Commission. Section 8. Member Emeritus status is available to members who have made significant contributions to the Commission and who are unable for any reason to continue as active members. These members are non-voting members. Article IV Officers Section 1 Election and Term. The officers of the Commission shall be Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, and Treasurer. The chairperson shall be appointed by Commissioners Court. The remaining officers shall be elected at the second commission meeting after consideration by the nominating committee outlined in Article IV, Section 7. All elected officer’s terms shall be for two years. Section 2 Chairperson. The Chairperson shall be the Executive Officer of the Commission. His/her responsibility shall be to set the agenda and call the regular meetings and preside at those meetings; set and oversee the programs of the Commission; appoint chairpersons and committees and serve as an ex-officio member of all the committees except the Nominating Committee; report annually to the County Commissioners Court and the Texas Historical Commission and serve on or designate a representative for any boards, commissions or committees as requested. The Chairperson shall keep all records pertaining to this office in a place so designated by the Commissioners Court. Section 3 Vice-Chairperson. The Vice-Chairperson shall preside at the meetings in the absence of the Chairperson. Section 4 Secretary. The Secretary shall record and keep the minutes of all meetings, and perform such other duties normally pertaining to the office. The Secretary shall furnish a copy of the minutes to the Chairperson in a timely manner. Section 5 Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be entrusted with custody of the Commission’s funds and responsible for collection of monies due to the Commission and disbursement of funds by authority of the Commission. The Treasurer shall provide a statement of cash balance at each meeting, and an annual financial report. Section 6 Records. All elected officers and committee chairpersons shall relinquish their records to the Chairperson, immediately upon the completion of their term of office or completion of a project. Section 7 Nominations and Election Procedures. Nominations for the offices of Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, and Tresurer shall be made by a nominating committee elected by the membership at the first regular meeting after new appointments are made in January of odd numbered years. Elections shall be held at the second regular meeting of the odd numbered year. Nominees for office must consent to serve for a two-year term. Election shall be a voice vote unless there is more than one candidate for office, then it shall be by written ballot. Section 8 Quorum. The four officers comprise the Executive Committee. Three officers constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Executive Committee Section 9 Resignation. An officer may resign the office while not resigning membership from the Commission, by submitting a letter to the Chairperson. Vacancies occurring in any office other that the Chairperson shall be appointed for the remainder of the term by the Chairperson. Article V Financial Administration Section 1 Budget. The proposed budget for the ensuing year shall be prepared by the Treasurer in a manner set by Commissioners Court. The budget shall be presented to the County Judge and Commissioners Court. Section 2 Receipt of Gifts. The Commission shall be authorized to accept gifts of money and other property to further its preservation goals, and for any use in the furtherance of its lawful purposes in accordance to the Texas Local Government Code and the guidelines set by the Texas Historical Commission Article VI Meetings Section 1 Regular Meetings. There shall be a minimum of four regular meetings annually, at least one meeting will be held at the county seat. The specific date, time, and place shall be set by the Chairperson. The Chairperson may call special meetings. Section 2 Open Meetings. All meetings shall be held in accordance with the Open Meeting’s Act in Chapter 551 of the Texas Government Code. Section 3 Quorum. A majority of the Commission, or one more than half the membership constitutes a quorum. A quorum must be present for the transaction of business. Article VII Programs Programs: The programs of the Commission shall be set by the Chairperson in accordance to the Texas Local Government Code and the County Historical Commission Guidelines set by the Texas Historical Commission. As an arm of the county government the Commission shall have authority over all Commission Programs. Article VIII Committees Section 1 Chairperson. The Chairperson of the Commission shall appoint committee chairpersons, standing committees, and such ad hoc committees as may be necessary to perform the work of the commission. Section 2 Standing Committees include the Executive Committee, Research and Marker Committee, and Finance and Budget Committee. Article IX County Historical Museum County Historical Museum. The Commissioners Court of _____________ County, under the authority of Texas Local Government Code Chapter 318.010, has established a County Museum at ______________________, _____________, Texas, and assigned oversight of the museum to the _____________ County Historical Commission. The purpose of the museum is to further the knowledge of, and foster an appreciation for, the history and heritage of _____________ County. To fulfill the mission and purpose of the Museum and in accordance with Texas law, the Commission under the direction of the Commission Chairperson may make by-laws, policies and rules governing the broad workings and operations of said museum, including, but not limited to, placing the day-to-day operations of the museum into the hands of a professional staff. The Commission Chairperson shall work with the museum staff to guide the commission in the development of its by-laws and policies concerning the museum. Article X Parliamentary Authority Parliamentary Procedure. Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall be the authoritative reference for all procedures not covered by these By-Laws. Article IX Amendments Amendments. These by-laws may be amended by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the qualified members present at a commission meeting where there is a quorum present, provided the amendment has been submitted in writing to the general membership at least two weeks before the meeting. Adopted by the membership of the _____________ County Historical Commission: __________________________________ __________________________________ Chairperson Date Vice-Chair Date Approved by the _____________ County Commissioners Court: __________________________________ __________________________________ County Judge Date County Commissioner, Precinct 1 Date __________________________________ __________________________________ County Commissioner, Precinct 2 Date County Commissioner, Precinct 3 Date __________________________________ County Commissioner, Precinct 4 Date