Missoula County Republican Party

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I. Mission
The Missoula County Republican Central Committee is established to assist and support Republican Party Candidates for local, state and national elected governmental offices and to promote the Montana State Party Platform. The Central Committee shall conduct all operations in an ethical manner complying with state laws and regulations.

II. Authority
The rules are created for the government of the Missoula County Republican Central Committee. The rules shall govern the organization, the conduct of meetings and the business of the Missoula County Republican Central Committee, its officers and committees. The rules are subject to rules of the Montana Republican State Central Committee and shall not govern when in conflict with state laws, the Rules of the Republican National Committee or the Rules of Montana Republican State Central Committee.

III. Effective Date
These rules and any amendments thereto, shall be effective when adopted by the Missoula County Central Committee and approved by the Montana Republican State Central Committee.
Upon the effective date of the rules and any amendments thereto, a copy of the rules and any amendments thereto shall be filed with the county election administrator pursuant to MCA 13-38-105.

IV. Organization
a. Membership
The Missoula County Republican Central Committee shall consist of the duly elected or appointed precinct committeemen and committeewomen. The precinct committeemen and committeewomen shall hold office for two years from the date of their election, or if appointed shall serve until the next regularly scheduled election.
b. Election of County Officers
The Missoula County Central Committee must hold an election convention for the purpose of organizing the Central Committee between February 1 and May 15 in each odd numbered year. The State Chairman shall mail notice of this requirement at least ten (10) days prior to the period that elections may commence. Such conventions shall be called and notice of the call must be given as provided by state law. The County Chairman shall preside at the county convention and no person other than a duly elected or appointed committeeman or committeewoman or officer of the committee is entitled to participate in the convention. Only duly elected precinct committeemen and committeewomen will be allowed to vote.
NOTE: The word “election” was added to clarify the purpose of the convention. Please see RULES OF THE MONTANA REPUBLICAN PARTY, page 7, Section C (III) (B) Election of County Officers – most of the paragraph was copied verbatim.
i. County Officers to Be Elected.
At such convention, the Central Committee shall elect the following officers, who need not be precinct committeemen or committeewomen, but who must be registered electors of Missoula County.
1. County Chairman*
2. County Vice-Chairman*
3. 2nd Vice Chair (optional)**
4. Secretary
5. Treasurer
6. State Committeeman
7. State Committeewoman
8. Congressional Committeeman
9. Congressional Committeewoman
10. Finance Chairman
11. Such other officers as may be deemed appropriate.
*The Chairman and Vice-Chairman are paired positions, one of whom shall be a man and one of whom shall be a woman.
**When a 2nd Vice Chair is elected, that position must be of the opposite sex of the Vice Chair.

ii. Call of Election
The Chairman of the Central Committee shall call the county convention and, not less than seven (7) days before the date of the convention, shall publish the call in a newspaper published at the county seat and mail or email a copy of the call to each precinct committeeman, committeewoman and officer of the Central Committee.

iii. Conduct of Election
The Chairman of the Central Committee shall preside at the county convention. No person other than a duly elected or appointed precinct committeeman, committeewoman or officer of the Central Committee is entitled to vote in the convention.

iv. Proxies
A precinct committeeman or committeewoman may appoint a proxy to represent him or her at the convention. No proxy shall be recognized unless held by a registered elector of the precinct represented by the committeeman or committeewoman. Officers of the committee must be present to vote. No officer proxies are allowed. A precinct committeeman or committeewoman serving as an officer shall have only one vote in person or by proxy.

v. Credentials
Prior to convening the convention, a Credentials Committee shall inspect the credentials and proxies of the committee.

vi. Absence
If a precinct committeeman or committeewoman is absent from convention, by not appearing in person or by proxy, the convention may fill the vacancy by appointing a registered elector of the party, resident on the precinct, to represent the precinct in the convention. Such appointment must be ratified by a two-thirds vote of the members eligible to vote in the convention.

vii. Results of Election
Within five (5) days of the County Convention, the Central Committee shall submit a report of the convention results to the State Central Committee. Failure to file the report within the allotted time may result in the county delegation not being seated at the next State Convention.

V. Central Committee Meetings
a. Call of Committee Meetings
Meetings of the County Central Committee may be called by:
i. The County Chairman;
A majority of members of the County Executive Committee; or
ii. A majority of members of the Central Committee.
A call of the Central Committee (except for the call of a County Convention) shall be issued by mail or email not less than seven (7) days prior to the date of the committee.

b. Conduct of Committee Meeting
i. Parliamentary Procedure
Roberts Rules of Order, as currently revised, shall govern all meetings and conventions, insofar as they are not inconsistent with the Rules of the Montana Republican State Central Committee or the Rules of the Missoula County Republican Central Committee. The Missoula County Chairman may appoint a parliamentarian.

ii. Order of Business
1. Meeting called to order by Chairman
The Chairman shall call the meeting to order. Members of the Committee shall give the Chairman their attention. All members shall direct their questions through the chairman.

2. Invocation
The Chairman may request a member of the Committee to give the Invocation. The Chairman may appoint a Chaplain.

3. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America
The Chairman shall request someone to lead the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America.

4. Introduction of Guests
The Chairman shall welcome any guests attending the meeting. Guests may be introduced by the Chairman or by the committee member who invited the guest. Guest speakers may also be introduced by the Chairman and invited to speak to the Committee.

5. Old Business
a. The Chairman shall request that the secretary read the minutes from the last meeting of the Committee. The minutes may be amended by the Committee or adopted as read.

b. Treasurer’s Report
The Chairman shall request that the Treasurer give a report. Such report shall include the current expenses to be paid. Bills for expenses must be submitted to the Treasurer in a timely manner prior to the Committee meeting in order to be included in the report.

c. Committee Reports
The Chairman may request that standing and special committees report to the Central Committee.

6. New Business
The Chairman shall indicate matters of new business since the last Committee meeting. Such business may include notification of decisions and recommendations made by the State Central Committee and the County Executive Committee as well as new events that require the attention of the Committee, future fundraising opportunities and future elections. The Chairman may appoint new committees and report on new business issues.

7. Other Business
8. Elections and Appointments*
*ELECTIONS AND APPOINTMENTS ARE NON-DEBATEABLE ISSUES.

a. Elections
Elections shall be held at County Conventions as required by the Rules of the State Central Committee. The County Chairman may appoint a nomination committee of no less than six (6) members – three man and three women – to nominate candidates for elected positions. The nominating committee may nominate more than one candidate for each position. Candidates nominated by the nominating committee shall have their names placed on a ballot for consideration by the Central Committee members. Nominations may be made from the floor by any Central Committee member or officer. A space will be made available on the ballot for the “write-in” vote or any floor nominee.
Each candidate nominated shall be given an equal opportunity to address the Committee members with a nomination acceptance speech prior to the election.

b. Appointments
The Central Committee is empowered to fill vacancies. A candidate may be nominated to fill a vacated Committee position – including an officer. The candidate must be present to be nominated. The candidate shall accept the nomination by addressing the Committee and stating the reasons for accepting the nomination. If only one candidate is nominated for election or appointment to the position in question, the Committee may, without objection, elect or appoint that candidate by acclamation.

VI. Ex Officio Members
Republican Party members who currently hold local and state government elected positions representing the voters of Missoula County shall be considered Ex Officio Members of the Missoula County Central Committee. Ex Officio Members shall be able to address the Committee on all items of debate and discussion. Ex Officio Members are encouraged to attend Committee meetings and share their knowledge with the Committee.

VII. Documentation of Committee Proceedings
Documentation of Committee Meetings, County Conventions and Elections is a function of the Secretary who shall keep a book of minutes including adopted Treasurer’s Reports for the Committee. Each Secretary of the Committee shall pass on the book of minutes to the succeeding Secretary. A copy of all reports filed with the Office of Political Practices will be kept for the records of the Committee.

VIII. Treasury
All funds collected for the Missoula County Central Committee shall be deposited for the Committee by the Treasurer. Funds shall be dispensed by the Treasurer subject to the Committee adopting the Treasurer’s report. Funds shall be used in such manner as to support the Mission of the Central Committee in its support of the Republican Party candidate and the normal course of business that ensues.

IX. Member Recognition
The County Chairman may authorize the use of funds to be used to express the gratitude or the sympathy of the Committee member in accord with social protocol.

X. Executive Committee
The Committee shall consist of all Central Committee elected officers. The County Chairman shall call and preside at all meetings of the Executive Committee unless another officer has been appointed chairman of that committee’s assigned work. The County Chairman or the appointed Chairman of the Committee shall report the recommendations of the Executive Committee to the Central Committee. [NOTE: See RULES OF THE MONTANA REPUBLICAN PARTY, page 8 Section C (III) (F): “Each County Central Committee may adopt its own rules of the determination of membership on its Executive Committee and the function of such committee.]

XI. State Convention Delegate
Delegates to the State Delegate Convention shall be elected by the Missoula County Central Committee. No fewer than four (4) and no more than twenty-five (25) shall be elected. The County Chairman must notify the State Chairman of the names of the county delegates at least ten (10) days prior to the convention. All delegates must be registered for the convention. Those people receiving the most number of votes so cast shall be elected as delegates to the State Delegate Convention. [NOTE: See RULES OF THE MONTANA REPUBLICAN PARTY, page 3, Section B (III) (D) Convention Delegates.]
 
Chairman Will Deschamps appointed the following officers to be on the Rules Committee:

Committee Chair Susan Muralt, Vice Chair
Carol Minjares, 2nd Vice Chair
Charlie Olinger, Secretary and State Committeeman
Sharon Gaffney , Treasurer
Thelma Baker, State Committeewoman
Jim Sadler, Congressional Committeeman
Arlyss Bolich, Congressional Committeewoman
Kathleen Roberts, Finance Chair

Revision inserted into this document were done at a meeting held at 6pm on April 24, 2008. All members of the Rules Committee were present except for Jim Sadler.
Correction were made by William Wagner, attorney at the Garlington, Lohn and Robertson law firm based on the RULES OF THE MONTANA REPUBLICAN PARTY and the MONTANA STATUTES regarding Central Committee rules.