NYSCMA Bylaws

Section I - Name & Purpose
Section II - Membership
Section III - Officers & Board of Directors
Section IV - Meetings
Section V - Committees
Section VI - Miscellaneous

Section I - Name & Purpose

Name: The name of the organization shall be the New York State City/County Management Association (NYSCMA).
Definitions:
a. The term "city manager" shall mean an appointed city, village, town or county manager or an appointed chief municipal administrative officer.
Purpose: The purpose of the Association is to improve municipal administration through discussion and the exchange of ideas relating to the problems of municipalities; to increase the proficiency of municipal managers; to improve the quality of urban life and the delivery of services; and to assist communities to obtain the benefits of the council-manager plan.

Section II - Membership

Membership: Membership of the association shall consist of Active Members; Associate Members; Cooperating Members; Student Members; Life Members; and Honorary Members. Only Active and Associate Members shall be eligible to hold office in the Association.
Active Member: Any person who is the appointed chief executive and/or administrative officer of a New York State municipality or public authority shall be eligible for membership.
Associate Member: Any person who is appointed, by a municipal officer eligible for the classification of Active Member, to a position having significant administrative responsibilities which are oriented to a municipal management career shall be eligible for associate membership.
Cooperating Member: Any person is eligible for cooperating membership who:
a. Is employed by a New York State municipality and who has municipal management as a career objective; or
b. Has attained a position in a field of specialization qualifying him or her to contribute to the advancement of professional knowledge and practice of municipal management; or
c. Is a former Active or Associate Member no longer directly involved in municipal management in New York State.
Student Member: Any full-time or part-time student in public administration or affairs at a recognized college or university who intends to follow a career in municipal government and who is not eligible for membership under any other category is eligible for student membership.
Life Member: Any person who has retired from the field of municipal management and who was, at the time of retirement, an Active Member of the Association or its predecessors, the Municipal Management Association of New York State and the City Managers Association of New York State, is eligible for life membership.
Honorary Member: Any person, because of distinguished service to the Council-Manager Plan in New York State, may be elected to honorary membership according to the following procedure:
Proposed by at least three Active Members; and
Unanimous recommendation of the Executive Committee; and
The majority vote of the voting membership present at the annual meeting.
Eligibility: Eligibility in any grade of membership shall be as determined by the Executive Committee. Candidates for life membership shall be reviewed and nominated, if appropriate, annually by the nominating committee and shall be subject to the approval of a majority vote of the voting members of the Association present at the annual meeting of the Association.
Dues: Dues shall be levied according to the membership classification and shall be due and payable at the beginning of the Association fiscal year (June 1).
Resignation: Any member may resign his membership by a written notice to the Secretary-Treasurer.
Expulsion of Member: The Board of Directors may, upon written request of four or more Active Members setting forth their reasons, consider the reasons and if it appears that there is sufficient cause for expulsion, the Board shall advise the accused of the charges against him. He may, if he so desires, present a written defense, which shall be considered by the Board of Directors. Within one month after the preferring of charges, the Board of Directors shall consider the case finally and, if a resignation has not been tendered or a satisfactory defense made, the Board of Directors may expel the person and notify him and the membership of this action. A member who has been expelled may be restored to membership only at an annual meeting.

Section III - Officers & Board of Directors

Officers: The officers of the Association shall be a President; a 1st Vice-President; a 2nd Vice-President; and a Secretary-Treasurer each of whom shall be elected by the voting membership in attendance at the annual meeting and hold such office for one year. During the absence or disability or upon the resignation of the President, the 1st Vice-President shall immediately become acting President until a President shall be elected at the next annual meeting. The President shall fill other vacancies.
Board of Directors: The Board of Directors shall consist of the President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Immediate Past President, and seven at-large members.
Meeting of The Board of Directors: The Board of Directors shall meet at least once annually in addition to the annual spring meeting of the Association and at such other times as shall be deemed necessary by the President.
Duties of Officers: The duties of each officer shall be the usual duties of the respective offices necessary in order to carry out the general activities of the Association.
Nomination and Election of Officers: At the annual meeting the eligible membership shall elect by ballot a President; a 1st Vice-President; a 2nd Vice-President; a Secretary-Treasurer; and five Directors-at-large. The candidate receiving a majority of all votes cast for any office shall be declared elected. A Nominating Committee of the three most recent Past President of the Association shall make nominations in attendance at the annual meeting appointed by the President. At the time the Nominating Committee makes it recommendations additional nominations may be made from the floor. A person who has served the Association as President for a full term shall not succeed himself.
The Executive Committee of theAssociation, shall recommend to the Board of Directors the name of an individual to fill the position of Executive Director of the Association and charge such individual with the responsibility and duties to assist the Officers and Board of Directors carry forth the mission of the Association. Compensation for said position shall be set with the approval of the membership as part of the adopted budget for the fiscal year. No person shall remain in the position of Executive Director for a period of more than five consecutive years.
The Executive Committee of the Association, after consultation with the Secretary Treasurer and Executive Director shall name an individual to serve as the Financial Assitant of the Association whose responsibility it will be to assist theSecretary Treasurerattend to the financial affair of the Association including but not limited to collecting, deposition, and disbursing all funds in the manner set forth by the Board of Directors and by the membership by resolution at the annual business meeting. No person shall remain in the position of Financial Assistant for a period of more than five consecutive years.
The Executive Committee of the Association, shall recommend to the Board of Directors the name of an individual to serve as the Director of Public Policy to assist and advise the Board of Directors and membership of critical policy issues that may affect the professional management of local government and provide a recommended course of action to address said concerns.

Section IV - Meetings

Annual Meeting: The Association shall meet at least once a year. The Executive Committee shall hold the Annual Meeting during the month of April or May each year at the time and place determined. The Secretary-Treasurer shall send notice of the time and place of all meetings to all members not less than thirty (30) days in advance of the date of such meeting.
Special Meeting: the President may call special meetings. Each member shall be notified by mail of the time and place of the meeting by the Secretary-Treasurer.
Quorum: A quorum shall be a majority of the voting membership in attendance.

Section V - Committees

Standing Committees: There shall be five standing committees as follows:
a.  Legislative Program
b.  The Profession
c.  Membership and By-Laws
d.  Development and Training
e.  Assistants
The President shall appoint a Director-at-large as Chairperson of each standing committee.
Appointment: The President shall appoint such special or study committees as may be approved by the majority of the Executive Committee or by a majority vote of the voting membership at a meeting.

Section VI - Miscellaneous

Amendment: This constitution may be amended or repealed by a 2/3 vote of voting members of the association present at the annual meeting of the Association; or three voting members of the Association may, by petition to the Secretary-Treasurer, initiate the desired change which shall become effective upon the ratification by a 2/3 majority of the voting members voting thereon by a letter ballot. Two members of the Executive Committee shall canvass such letter ballot no sooner than the 60th day nor later than the 65th day after the Secretary-Treasurer mails the notice.
Adoption: This constitution shall be in full force and effect from the date of its approval by a majority of the voting membership.
Fiscal year: The fiscal year shall date from June 1 to May 31. Dues and all subscriptions shall be payable as of June 1. However, all new officers shall take office immediately following the annual meeting at which they were elected.

NOTE: The original constitution and by-laws were adopted at the first annual meeting, May 3, 1959, at Syracuse, New York.