Bylaws of the Knox County Democratic Committee
Article First: Name 1. The name of this organization shall be the Knox County Democratic Committee, hereinafter referred to as the KCDC.
Article Second: Purpose & Objectives 1. The object and purpose of the KCDC shall be to: A. Promote the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party;
B. Encourage and maintain participation and unity of enrolled voters and potential candidates in Knox County, Maine; C. Provide leadership to, and coordination with, Municipal Committees, the Maine Democratic State Committee and the Democratic National Committee and D. Support the nominees elected in the State Democratic Primary and to elect Democrats to office. 2. The KCDC shall be a non-discriminatory, non-profit organization.
Article Third: Membership 1. In accordance with the Rules of the Maine Democratic Party, the KCDC shall consist of a minimum of three (3) members from each municipality in Knox County, one of whom shall be the Municipal Chair. The additional members shall be divided equally between males and females when possible. For each one hundred (100) enrolled Democrats or major fraction thereof (fifty-one [51] or more) beyond the first one hundred (100), each municipality is entitled to an additional member on the KCDC. For the purpose of determining the number of KCDC members, the most recent st enrollment figures published by the Secretary of State before January 1 of each even-numbered year shall be utilized. 2. Democratic State Committee members and Democratic members of the Maine Legislature who are residents of Knox County shall be voting KCDC members.
3. Elected officers of the KCDC shall be voting at-large KCDC members.
4. Additional at-large KCDC members may be elected as described below.
Article Fourth: Election of Members 1. The KCDC members from municipalities shall be nominated and elected at biennial caucuses held in each municipality. An official list of elected committee members shall be forwarded to the KCDC within ten (10) days of the caucus. 2. If an enrolled Democrat who is a resident of Knox County wishes to become an at-large member of the KCDC, said person may, after attending three (3) KCDC Bylaws of the Maine Knox County Democratic Committee
meetings in the most recent six-month period, make a formal request to the Recording Secretary at least ten (10) days before a KCDC meeting, asking to become a voting member-at-large. The KCDC shall, by majority vote of the members present at a duly called meeting, either accept or reject the request. Terms for members-at-large shall coincide with terms for regular KCDC members.
Article Fifth: Duties of KCDC Members 1. The duties of the KCDC members shall be as follows:
A. Attend all meetings of the KCDC;
B. Participate in the government and direction of the affairs and activities of the KCDC;
C. Work closely with Municipal Chairs to promote a grassroots Democratic organization;
D. Serve as a liaison between the Municipal Committee and the KCDC;
E. Aid and cooperate with the campaigns of Democratic candidates and
F. Assist in fundraising for KCDC activities and Democratic campaigns.
Article Sixth: Officers of the KCDC 1. The officers of the KCDC shall be a Chair, Vice-Chair, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary and Treasurer and may include an Assistant Treasurer. When possible, the Chair and Vice-Chair shall be of the opposite gender. The KCDC may add other officers and standing committees as is deemed necessary.
Article Seventh: Election of Officers 1. A person seeking a KCDC office must be an enrolled Democrat in Knox County but need not be a KCDC member.
2. In January of each odd-numbered year, the current Chair shall call the Biennial Meeting for the election of KCDC officers by providing written or email notice to all members of the KCDC not less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting.
3. In the course of electing officers, the current Chair shall preside over the election. In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall preside, or in the absence of both, the Recording Secretary shall preside. After the election of officers, the newly elected officers shall assume their positions.
Article Eighth: Duties of Officers 1. The duties of the Chair shall be to: A. Serve as the general executive officer and spokesperson for the KCDC;
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B. Preside at all meetings of the KCDC;
C. Follow the Rules of the Maine Democratic State Committee and the Delegate Selection Plan regarding caucuses and the State Convention;
D. Appoint a convener of each standing and ad hoc committee and be an ex-officio voting member of each;
E. Establish ad hoc committees as needed to address the interests and concerns of the KCDC;
F. Attend all Maine Democratic State Committee and Caucus of County Chairs meetings;
G. Serve as a liaison between the County, State and Caucus of County Chairs Committees for the exchange of information concerning the activities and requirements of each;
H. Make every attempt to assure that each municipality holds a biennial caucus on the appropriate date; I. Notify each municipal Chair of the number of members that may be elected as members of the KCDC and J. Perform any other duties that the KCDC may assign. K. The Chair may delegate any of these responsibilities to other KCDC members.
2. The duties of the Vice-Chair shall be to: A. Perform all of the duties of the Chair in the absence of same; B. Become Chair in the event of the resignation, removal or death of the Chair and serve the remainder of that term; C. Attend all KCDC meetings; D. Be an ex-officio voting member of each standing committee and E. Perform any other duties that the KCDC may assign.
3. The duties of the Recording Secretary shall be to: A. Keep a complete and accurate record of all KCDC meetings, filing a copy of each with the Chair prior to the next meeting; B. Make available to any KCDC member for examination or copying any records of meetings and other records such as Bylaws which are formally recognized by the KCDC; C. Keep a record of the attendance of members at each meeting; D. Maintain a current list of all KCDC members and officers and Knox County municipal committees and to provide the Chair with updates; E. Release mailing lists in part or in whole only at the direction of the KCDC, since the lists are the sole property of the KCDC; F. Be an ex-officio voting member of the Bylaws Committee
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G. Serve as a co-chair of the Communications and Technology Committee and H. Perform any other duties that the KCDC may assign.
4. The duties of the Corresponding Secretary shall be to: A. Cause notice and the agenda of all KCDC meetings to be sent to all members at least seven (7) days prior to said meetings; B. Write and submit meeting notices to local media; C. Write, or cause to be written, press releases on special meetings or specific issues as directed by the KCDC; D. Provide notice of cancellation of KCDC meetings or events by email and to local media; E. Communicate with the State Democratic Committee as necessary; F. Serve as a co-chair of the Communications and Technology Committee and G. Perform any other duties that the KCDC may assign.
5. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to: A. Disburse KCDC funds as directed or required by the KCDC; B. Keep full and accurate record of all receipts and disbursements; C. Deposit all KCDC monies in the name of the KCDC in a recognized bank or trust company; D. Attend all KCDC meetings; E. Provide a report of the transactions and financial condition of the KCDC at every regular meeting; F. Comply on a timely basis with all legal requirements relating to the receipt and disbursement of funds;
G. Comply with the regulations and reporting requirements of the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices;
H. Supply the documentation necessary for financial audits and/or reviews; I. Assure compliance with state and federal tax requirements; J. Develop a two-year budget for submission to the Executive Committee and the KCDC by April of each odd-numbered year and K. Perform any other duties that the KCDC may assign.
6. An Assistant Treasurer may be elected whose duties of shall be to: A. Assist the Treasurer in the performance of his/her duties and B. Perform the duties of the Treasurer when the Treasurer is unavailable.
Article Ninth: Standing Committees 1. The KCDC encourages active participation on its committees.
2. Committee members may be appointed by the KCDC Chair or may volunteer for a committee. The KCDC Chair shall appoint Conveners of Standing Committees and Committee Chairs shall be elected by the committee members, except the Communications and Technology Committee which shall be co-chaired by the Page 4
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secretaries of the KCDC.
3. At its March meeting following the election of officers, the committee Chairs and members shall be confirmed by the KCDC.
4. The Standing Committees of the KCDC shall be: A. Fundraising Committee – The duties of this Committee shall be to: i. Develop a two-year plan by May of each odd-numbered year that will raise the funds needed by the KCDC and present it to the Executive Committee and the KCDC; ii. Implement the plan’s activities other than those concerning established fundraising programs, first providing a budget to the KCDC for each new activity and iii. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.
B. Media, Mailing and Candidate Support Committee. This Committee shall consist of at least one person from each Maine Senate, House and County District that encompasses municipalities in Knox County. Their duties shall be to:
i. Serve as a resource for local candidates in understanding the rules pursuant to running for election and participating in the Maine Clean Elections program; ii. Present a plan to the KCDC by July of each even-numbered year for the expenditure of funds to support local candidates through mailings, media, events and other activities; iii. Implement the plan within available funds and iv. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.
C. Bylaws Committee – The duties of this Committee shall be to: i. Review, maintain and consider the existing Bylaws of the KCDC; ii. Maintain an updated copy of the Bylaws for the KCDC members; iii. Make recommendations and prepare revisions and amendments as directed by the KCDC and iv. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.
D. Issues, Program and Special Events Committee– The duties of this Committee shall be to:
i. Arrange for speakers at regular KCDC meetings on topics of interest; ii. Plan other events as approved by the KCDC and iii. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.
E. Communications and Technology Committee – The duties of this Committee shall be to:
i. Assist the Corresponding Secretary with the dissemination of information which may be useful to the membership;
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ii. Maintain and update the KCDC’s website; iii. Maintain and update the KCDC’s social media accounts; iv. Process data for maintaining updated mailing and voter lists and v. Perform any other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.
F. Grievance Committee – This Committee shall consist of a Chair and four (4) members elected at the biennial meeting. Their duty shall be to hear and process all grievances of members or officers of the KCDC, municipal committees or candidates through the following steps:
i. The Grievance Committee Chair, within fifteen (15) days of receipt of a written grievance signed by the complainant(s), shall schedule a hearing thereon to be held within fifteen (15) days of setting the hearing date and shall provide notice of said date to all Grievance Committee members at least seven (7) days prior to said hearing. ii. Any enrolled Knox County Democrat may attend said hearing and testify regarding said grievance. iii. At the conclusion of said hearing, the Grievance Committee shall prepare a recommendation. iv. The Grievance Committee Chair shall present a report on the hearing and the recommendation at the next meeting of the KCDC, which will then take action on the recommendation. v. Appeals of the decision of the KCDC may be made by written notice to the Grievance Committee of the Maine Democratic State Committee with a copy provided to the KCDC Chair.
Article Tenth: Executive Committee 1. The Executive Committee shall consist of all KCDC officers, the Democratic State Committee members, the immediate past Chair of the KCDC and the Chairs of the Standing Committees.
2. The Executive Committee shall serve only in an advisory capacity to the KCDC. However, in situations of an urgent nature requiring immediate attention, the Executive Committee may take necessary action by the following measures:
A. Two-thirds (2/3) of the Executive Committee membership shall constitute a quorum necessary for taking any action; B. All actions shall be made upon a favorable vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the quorum; C. Voting by remote means (telephone, email, etc.) is acceptable; D. All votes shall be recorded by name and E. A report on said action shall be made to the next meeting of the KCDC. 3. Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held as necessary with prior notice made to all its members.
4. The Executive Committee shall have the authority to expend funds within the approved budget categories.
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5. The duties of the Executive Committee shall be to:
A. Conduct a search for potential candidates; B. Develop a two-year Strategic Plan for presentation to the KCDC by May of each odd-numbered year; C. Review the progress towards implementing the activities of the Strategic Plan and present that information to the KCDC at least quarterly; D. Review the KCDC’s financial operations at least once a year; E. Develop the agenda for KCDC meetings and F. Perform other any other tasks that may be assigned by the KCDC.
Article Eleventh: Meetings of the KCDC 1. Meetings of the KCDC shall occur on a monthly basis unless otherwise agreed to by the KCDC. The Chair may call special meetings as needed, and a meeting shall be called upon the written request of at least five (5) KCDC members. 2. A Biennial Meeting for election of officers and other activities as noted in these Bylaws shall be held in January of each odd-numbered year.
3. Written notice of all meetings shall be sent to all KCDC members at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting and shall include information concerning date, time, place and agenda. Written notice shall include notification via e-mail when appropriate.
4. Unless otherwise agreed to by the KCDC, all meetings shall be conducted according to the most recent edition of Robert's Rules of Order, a copy of which shall be available at all KCDC meetings.
5. The order of business at a regular KCDC meeting, unless decided upon differently by the Executive Committee, shall be:
A. Lectures, guest speakers, etc. B. Reading of the minutes of the last KCDC meeting C. Financial report D. Reports of the Officers E. Reports of any Committees F. Old business G. New business H. Adjournment
6. Notice of cancellation of KCDC meetings shall be reported by email and through local media as soon as possible.
Article Twelfth: The Quorum 1. Fifteen percent (15%) of the membership in good standing shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of KCDC business.
2. A quorum shall be considered present at all meetings unless two (2) members in good standing request a count.
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3. Unless otherwise specified herein, any action taken by the KCDC shall be effective only if adopted by a simple majority of those present at a KCDC meeting. Action to adjourn shall take effect if adopted by a majority of those present, regardless of the number.
Article Thirteenth: Proxies 1. In compliance with the rules of the Maine Democratic Party, proxies and voting by proxy shall not be allowed at any time.
Article Fourteenth: Officer and Member Resignations 1. Any KCDC member or officer may resign at any time. Such resignations shall be in writing and shall take effect at the time designated therein or upon receipt by the Chair or Secretary. 2. Resignation by a KCDC officer does not automatically imply resignation from the KCDC, unless so specified. 3. The Chair shall inform the appropriate municipal Chair of a resignation immediately upon notification of same. 4. Any KCDC member, including those who are members because they serve as officers or representatives to the Democratic State Committee, may be deemed to have resigned his or her position when that member has missed three (3) consecutive KCDC meetings. Such a member may also be deemed to have resigned his or her position as an officer and/or a KCDC representative to the DSC. The Chair shall make a good faith effort to contact the member who is so affected.
Article Fifteenth: Officer and Member Removal 1. Any KCDC member may be removed by the member's Municipal Committee due to inaction or impropriety. Removal shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote by the Municipal Committee members present at a meeting called for that purpose by written notice sent at least seven (7) days prior to said meeting.
2. An officer of the KCDC may be removed because of inaction or impropriety by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of KCDC members present and voting at a meeting called for that purpose by written notice sent to all KCDC members at least seven (7) days prior to said meeting.
3. Any KCDC member must be removed upon discovery that the member is no longer registered to vote in a municipality in Knox County and enrolled in the Democratic Party in that municipality or has moved out of Knox County.
Article Sixteenth: Filling of Vacancies 1. Vacancies within the KCDC membership shall be filled by vote of the Municipal Committee when possible and otherwise by appointment by the Municipal Chair. As a matter of last resort, if the municipality cannot fill a vacancy, an enrolled Democrat from that municipality may be selected by the KCDC.
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2. KCDC officers who are unable to complete their terms shall be replaced by the following procedures:
A. Chair -- The Vice-Chair shall assume the position for the rest of the term. B. All other Officers -- By majority vote of the members present at a KCDC meeting duly called for that purpose or at the next regular meeting with notice sent to members at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting.
Article Seventeenth: Bylaws 1. At the first KCDC meeting following the biennial caucuses, copies of the KCDC Bylaws and a list of all KCDC members shall be made available by the Recording Secretary. A copy of these Bylaws and/or the membership list shall otherwise be made available to any member by the Recording Secretary or the Bylaws Committee Chair upon request.
2. Subsequent to the election of officers at the January meeting of each odd- numbered year, the KCDC members shall by a majority vote reaffirm the existing Bylaws, adopt revised Bylaws or direct a revision of the Bylaws for the consideration of the membership within the following sixty (60) days. Only at this meeting may the Bylaws be revised without prior written notice.
3. To revise or amend these Bylaws at meetings other than the biennial meeting, the following shall occur:
A. The revision or amendment shall be submitted to or originated by the Bylaws Committee, and said committee shall make a report and recommendation to the KCDC at a regularly scheduled KCDC meeting. B. Written notice and text of the proposed amendment or revision must be sent to all KCDC members at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting scheduled to consider such. C. A two-thirds (2/3) vote of those members present and voting must favor the amendment or revision. 4. Amendments or revisions of these Bylaws shall be noted in the KCDC meeting minutes and sent to members within thirty (30) days.
5. Upon adoption or revision of these bylaws, the Corresponding Secretary shall file a copy with the Maine Democratic Party Headquarters.
Article Eighteenth: Financial Policy 1. The following policies regarding financial matters shall be followed: A. KCDC funds shall only be provided to Democratic legislative or county candidates running in districts which have at least one town in Knox County unless expenditures for other candidates are approved by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of members present and voting. B. At least seven (7) days prior notice shall be made to all KCDC members regarding matters involving the expenditure of one thousand dollars ($1000) or more that are not within an approved budget. Page 9
Bylaws of the Maine Knox County Democratic Committee
C. Travel expenses for members who are required to represent the KCDC outside of Knox may be reimbursed with reimbursements limited to the IRS rate for stipends for meals, lodging and mileage.
These Bylaws were adopted June 11, 1991 and amended June 15, 2011, January 15, 2013 and February 13, 2018.
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