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bring it back


Guest mdarby

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When an item has been defeated it was my understanding that to bring it back again it had to be done by one of the members who were on whatever side had the most votes on the item either for or against. Is this true?

That is true for the motion to Reconsider, but it's typically in order only during the same meeting (session) where the item was first defeated (or passed for that matter).

But at the next meeting, a defeated motion may be renewed (made again) by anyone, as if it had never been made before.

Now, if it was passed at a prior meeting, changing it it would require that it either be Rescinded or Amended. The motion to Rescind or to Amend Something Previously Adopted require a somewhat more stringent vote requirement: With previous notice, a majority vote; whithout notice, either a 2/3 vote or a majority of the entire membership of the body that's meeting.

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As a Town Board member (1 of 5) 3/2 voted not to change a law, I wanted to bring it back and was told I couldn't because I was on the short side or out voted. Now, a different situation has come up and we voted not to go forward with a park and the Town Mananger has placed the same item back on the agenda without the sponsorship of anyone from the majority side of the vote. Thereby, contradicting what they originally used to prevent me from bringing an item up over and over again to change the outcome, saying this was from RONR. I would like to know if there are any rules about this and where to find it as they stopped me before from doing anything and now they are doing as they please, and not following their own "rules." Thank you.

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So what is to stop a person from bringing the same item back until it passes?

Nothing.

That is the rule in Robert's Rules -- a defeated motion can be moved again (the technical term is "renewed") in a new "session" (a new order of business) forever -- until adopted.

Exception: Within the same meeting (technically, the same "session" or same "order of business"), you do not "renew", but instead move to Reconsider whatever was defeated.

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As a Town Board member (1 of 5) 3/2 voted not to change a law, I wanted to bring it back and was told I couldn't because I was on the short side or out voted.

See? You were told WRONG, if Robert's Rules of Order applies.

Whether Robert's Rules of Order does apply, or whether a customized rule exists contradicting the plain application of the rule in Robert's Rules, is up to you to verify.

We can tell you what The Book says -- but we cannot tell you if your "town" has special rules of order already in placing covering the issue.

Which is a roundabout way of saying, "Maybe you were told RIGHT -- maybe the rule in Robert's Rules of Order does not apply, due to some pre-existing rule."

Thus you have homework to do.

Now, a different situation has come up and we voted not to go forward with a park and the Town Manager has placed the same item back on the agenda without the sponsorship of anyone from the majority side of the vote.

Hold your horses, pardner!

What is the thing about "sponsorship"? Where did that variable come from?

Are you referring to a customized rule of your town?

Or are you just grasping at straws and introducing factors out of left field which don't really apply here?

("Sponsoship" is not a term taken from Robert's Rules of Order. So, if you need "sponsorship", then you need non-Robertian advice.)

Thereby, contradicting what they originally used to prevent me from bringing an item up over and over again to change the outcome, saying this was from RONR.

You've got two of three bugaboos happening to work against you, the three being:

"Lies, damned lies, and statistics."

I would like to know if there are any rules about this

and

where to find it

as they stopped me before from doing anything and now they are doing as they please, and not following their own "rules."

Yes, there are rules.

You now know what The Book says.

Where to find it?

Inside Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised (RONR 10th edition 2000, publ. by Da Capo).

Look up the motion "Reconsider."

Look up the rules for "session".

Look up the term "renewal" or "to renew".

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So what is to stop a person from bringing the same item back until it passes?

Nothing. But only once per meeting, or the rules about having voted with the prevailing side will apply (Reconsider).

Well, nothing, that is, except the knowledge that nothing is to stop people from continuing to vote against it until you give up. If it becomes an annoyance there are other things that can be done, but the easiest is simply to vote it down until the proponent gets tired of it. After all, what does it take to vote something down, six seconds?

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For the Town, to place an item on the agenda it needs a sponsor member of the board, the person placing the item is the presenter. So the presenter fills out the paper work gives it to a member to sign and then it is placed on the agenda for the next meeting. I am not seeing it in Robert’s, so I guess it off to the NRS’s. Thanks.

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For the Town, to place an item on the agenda it needs a sponsor member of the board, the person placing the item is the presenter. So the presenter fills out the paper work gives it to a member to sign and then it is placed on the agenda for the next meeting. I am not seeing it in Robert’s, so I guess it off to the NRS’s. Thanks.

It may be that this is the rough equivalent of a mover (presenter) and seconder (sponsor) in RONR. Except for the names, a similar process is used when resolutions are required to be in writing. (which they usually should)

The term "sponsor", though, implies that the person is in favor of the measure while, in RONR, a seconder is not presumed to be in favor of anything but discussing the issue.

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