Democratic Central Committee of St. Mary’s County

By-Laws

Article I – Authority and Purpose

The Democratic Central Committee of St. Mary’s County (the “Committee”) is constituted as the governing body of the Democratic Party in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, and shall exercise all the powers, rights, and privileges granted it under the Constitution and Laws of Maryland and the By-Laws of the Maryland Democratic Party.

The Committee shall promote the election of the nominees of the Democratic Party in Maryland and St. Mary’s County. The Committee is to direct local party activities, establish local party policies, raise funds, and manage those funds in St. Mary’s County.

The Committee as a body shall neither endorse nor support the candidacy of any particular candidate in the Primary Election but shall actively support all Democratic candidates in the General Election.

The Committee shall be responsible for drafting a two-year work plan for each election cycle held during its term. This plan, which shall be submitted to the Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, will detail the Committee’s efforts to build the local party and support its candidates over the two-year period between General Elections.

 

Article II – Membership of the Committee

The Committee shall be composed of twelve (12) members elected at-large in the Gubernatorial Primary Election. Central Committee members shall be elected by a process that recognizes three gender categories: female, male, and non-binary. Elections shall ensure that no one gender category shall exceed 50 percent of the committee’s total membership. A committee shall be considered gender balanced as long as variance between men and women in the group does not exceed one (1). In the case of gender non-binary, they shall not be counted as either a male or female, and the remainder of the committee shall be equally divided. Members of the Committee must be residents of St. Mary’s County and registered Democrats. Members serve a term of four (4) years, or until their successors are elected. 

In the event that the twelve (12) members elected in the party’s Gubernatorial Primary Election are not gender balanced, the Committee shall select such additional members as will cause the membership to be gender balanced, in accordance with the Charter of the Democratic Party of the United States, the By-Laws of the Maryland Democratic Party, and Article V, §1 of these by-laws. Names shall be submitted to the State Party Chair not later than February 1 of the calendar year following the Gubernatorial election. By a majority vote of the Committee, such additional members may also be accorded full privileges to vote and hold office as members of the Committee.

In the event of a vacancy on the Committee, the members shall select a person to fill it at a regular or special meeting in accordance with Article V, §2 of these by-laws.

The Committee may appoint no more than six (6) gender-balanced associate members of the Committee subject to the following provisions:

  1. Associate members of the Committee must be residents of St. Mary’s County and registered Democrats.
  2. Associate members shall be appointed by a majority vote of all members of the Committee.
  3. The term of associate members shall expire at the end of the current Committee’s term.
  4. Associate members serve at the pleasure of the Committee and may be removed at any time by a majority vote of all members of the Committee.
  5. Associate members may not vote on any matter, but they may serve on any standing committee. 

Members and associate members must abide by all relevant ethics laws, including the federal Hatch Act and similar provisions of state and local law that may limit political activities of government employees.

 

Article III – Meetings

  1. Initial Meeting – Within twenty (20) days of the Gubernatorial Primary Election at which the members of the Committee are elected, the retiring Chair shall call a meeting of the newly-elected Committee for the purpose of assuming office and organizing the new Committee. At this meeting, all official records shall be placed in the custody of the new Committee. If such a meeting is not called by the retiring Chair, a meeting may be called by the Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party or a majority of the newly-elected Committee members.
  2. The Committee shall hold at least six (6) regular meetings in any full calendar year. The time and place shall be determined by the Chair, unless otherwise agreed by the Committee.
  3. Special meetings may be called by the Chair, or by any three (3) members. Special meetings may not be called for the purpose of electing officers of the Committee or amending these by-laws.
  4. The general authority for the rules of procedure of the Committee shall be those contained in the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, except when they conflict with the Constitution or Laws of Maryland, the Constitution or By-Laws of the Maryland Democratic Party, or these by-laws.
  5. The number of members required for a quorum to conduct business shall be fifty percent (50%) of the whole number of current members of the Committee.
  6. Attendance of members shall be recorded in the minutes of each meeting.

 

Article IV – Officers

There shall be elected from the membership of the Committee a Chair, 1st Vice Chair, 2nd Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers shall be elected by a simple majority of the members present to a two (2) year term, or until their successors qualify. Officers may not serve more than two (2) consecutive terms as a particular Officer. A vacancy in any office shall be filled by election at the next regular meeting of the Committee after the vacancy is announced.

 

  1. The Chair shall be the chief executive officer of the Committee and shall call all regular Committee meetings and preside at same. The Chair shall preserve order during the meetings, co-sign the expenditure of all funds, and co-sign the Committee’s Campaign fund reporting requirements to the Maryland State Board of Elections Division of Candidacy and Campaign finance. The Chair shall have the authority to create and appoint special and ad hoc committees which may include persons who are not Committee members and do not vote on Committee business. Such committees may include, but are not limited to, fundraisings and maintaining local party headquarters.
  2. The 1st Vice Chair shall serve as the acting Chair during the absence, inability, or disability of the Chair and in the event of a vacancy of the Chair’s office until a successor is elected.
  3. The 2nd ​Vice Chair shall serve as the acting Chair during the absence, inability, or disability of the Chair and the 1st Vice Chair and in the event of a vacancy of the 1st Vice Chair’s office until a successor is elected.
  4. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meetings of the Committee and forward a copy of same to the Maryland Democratic Party within thirty (30) days following each meeting. The Secretary shall maintain current copies of the Committee’s by-laws and membership list and be responsible for the mailing of all notices.
  5. The Treasurer shall keep accounts of all monies received, raised, and disbursed by the Committee, and shall deposit these monies and other valuables in the name of the Committee in such depositories and banks within St. Mary’s County as the Committee may designate. The Treasurer shall not make disbursements or incur liabilities without the direction of the Committee or with its prior approval. The Treasurer shall co-sign the expenditure of all funds and prepare and co-sign the Committee’s campaign fund reporting requirements to the Maryland State Board of Elections Division of Candidacy and Campaign Finance. The Treasurer shall prepare and present a financial report at all meetings of the Committee. The Treasurer shall be bonded in such amounts as may be determined by the Committee, the cost to be paid by the Committee.

 

Article V – Filling Vacancies, Appointments and Elective Offices

The Committee shall provide recommendations regarding various political appointments to the Governor of the State of Maryland as well as to the Board of County Commissioners as mandated by law. From time to time the Committee is empowered or required by law or the Constitution and By-Laws of the Maryland Democratic Party to fill a vacant public or party elective office. In such an event, the Committee shall conduct the following processes for filling vacancies:

 

  1. Appointments and Elective Office – In the event of a vacancy in an office appointed by the Committee or an elected office, the vacancy shall be filled by the Committee at a public meeting held within the timeframe specified by Law and not more than forty-five (45) days after the vacancy shall occur. The Committee shall:
    1. Notify the public of the vacancy and its intention to fulfill its responsibilities by posting a notice in party communications media and a press release to newspapers of general circulation in the jurisdiction.
    2.  The notice shall include the Committee’s intent to meet and act, the time and place of the meeting, the process for filling the position, and the manner in which interested candidates may apply to be considered.
    3. The notice shall be given at least two (2) weeks prior to the deadline for the application.
    4. The application form shall include such biographical information as the Committee considers necessary to make an informed selection.
    5.  Copies of submitted applications shall be provided to all voting  members at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting at which the selection will be made.
    6. Provide bona fide candidates an opportunity to be heard and interviewed by the committee in a public meeting.
    7. Vote on the selection in public roll call of the members, or through signed ballots that shall be publicly read by the Secretary or by t tellers appointed for the occasion.

 

      2. Committee Vacancies – In the event of a vacancy on the Committee, the vacancy shall be filled by the remaining members of the Committee at a public meeting held within ninety (90) days after the vacancy occurs. The Committee shall:

 

  1. Notify the public of the vacancy and its intention to fulfill its responsibilities by posting a notice in party communications media and a press release to newspapers of general circulation in the jurisdiction.
  2. The notice shall include the Committee’s intent to meet and act, the time and place of the meeting, the process for filling the position, and the manner in which interested candidates may apply to be considered.
  3. The notice shall be given at least two (2) weeks prior to the deadline for the application.
  4. The application form shall include such biographical information as the Committee considers necessary to make an informed selection.
  5. Copies of submitted applications shall be provided to all voting  members at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the meeting at which the selection will be made.
  6. Provide bona fide candidates an opportunity to be heard and interviewed by the committee in a public meeting.
  7. Vote on the selection in public roll call of the members, or through signed ballots that shall be publicly read by the Secretary or by tellers appointed for the occasion.

In the event the Committee fails to fill the vacancy within the allotted time, the Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party may appoint a successor subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

 

Article VI – Removal from Office

The Committee shall have, by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the membership, the right to remove from office any member who:

  1. Has failed to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the Committee;
  2. Has failed to attend a majority of meetings in a calendar;
  3. Has openly supported a candidate other than the Democratic nominee in a general election;
  4. Has committed acts constituting nonfeasance, misfeasance, or malfeasance of office; or
  5. Has committed an act that would render the member no longer qualified to remain a member of the Committee either pursuant to these by-laws, the Constitution or Laws of Maryland or Constitution and By-Laws of the Maryland Democratic Party.

 

Article VII – Amendments

Amendments to these by-laws may be proposed by any member of the Committee by distributing written copies to all members present at any regular meeting of the meeting of the Committee, and emailing written copies to all members not present, at least ten (10) days prior to the next regular meeting. They may be amended by a favorable vote of two-thirds of the whole number of members of the Committee present during the next regular meeting of the Committee after the amendment is proposed.