Jump to content
The Official RONR Q & A Forums

Chair voting in Small Board or Committee


Guest Patricia Collins

Recommended Posts

Guest Patricia Collins

RRNR states that except in small boards or committees, the chair protects his impartial position by exercising his voting right only when his vote would affect the outcome.....

How many members constitutes "small". Does a City Council of 7 elected members qualify as "small"?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RRNR states that except in small boards or committees, the chair protects his impartial position by exercising his voting right only when his vote would affect the outcome.....

How many members constitutes "small". Does a City Council of 7 elected members qualify as "small"?

RONR refers to "small board meetings" as having "not more than about a dozen members" in attendance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

RRNR states that except in small boards or committees, the chair protects his impartial position by exercising his voting right only when his vote would affect the outcome.....

How many members constitutes "small". Does a City Council of 7 elected members qualify as "small"?

The small boards and committees referred to are intended to mean subordinate executive boards or ordinary committees. Strictly speaking, a City Council is an independent body. Nevertheless, I have opined previously on this forum that such a small, independent body is not fully in the nature of a deliberative assembly and need not observe all the "patterns of formality" that are observed in larger, deliberative assemblies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The small boards and committees referred to are intended to mean subordinate executive boards or ordinary committees. Strictly speaking, a City Council is an independent body. Nevertheless, I have opined previously on this forum that such a small, independent body is not fully in the nature of a deliberative assembly and need not observe all the "patterns of formality" that are observed in larger, deliberative assemblies.

On what do you make the claim that "small boards and committees referred to are intended to mean subordinate executive boards or ordinary committees." ?? Who (or what) intended this? Can you cite a reference that RONR is not including a board of not more than about a dozen in this provision, where that board is the primary governing entity of an organization?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On what do you make the claim that "small boards and committees referred to are intended to mean subordinate executive boards or ordinary committees." ?? Who (or what) intended this? Can you cite a reference that RONR is not including a board of not more than about a dozen in this provision, where that board is the primary governing entity of an organization?

Such a small, independent body is not fully in the nature of a deliberative assembly because of its size, RONR (10th ed.), p. 1, ll. 15-17. The general parliamentary law pertains principally to deliberative assemblies, though some elements may sometimes apply to other bodies, as well, RONR (10th ed.), p. 2, ll. 19-24.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Patricia Collins

The Chair of the City Council is the Mayor elected by the Council. Should not the Mayor be Mayor of all the citizens and be impartial regardless of the size of the Council? or is this a political decision that RONW cannot answer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Chair of the City Council is the Mayor elected by the Council. Should not the Mayor be Mayor of all the citizens and be impartial regardless of the size of the Council? or is this a political decision that RONW cannot answer.

As this is a small group and the Mayor is a member of the council, he/she is free to enter into debate and to vote.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As this is a small group and the Mayor is a member of the council, he/she is free to enter into debate and to vote.

It seems to me that the only question of any significance is the extent to which the Mayor should participate in debate, and this is something that the Council can (and should) decide for itself. Even in a full-blown assembly, the presiding officer, if he is a member, votes whenever it matters (see FAQ #1).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Chair of the City Council is the Mayor elected by the Council. Should not the Mayor be Mayor of all the citizens and be impartial regardless of the size of the Council? or is this a political decision that RONW cannot answer.

It is a political question which is beyond the scope of RONR and this forum.

It is probably beyond the scope of both (Robert's) Rules of Order Newly Revised, and Return on Net Worth as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...