Mayor's Appointment

[Guest Steve Krueger]

After a city council rejects a Mayor’s reappointment to a commission seat on a 4 to 3 vote with 1 excused absence, is there a method to bring back the same appointment for reconsideration without the backing of anyone from the prevailing side?

[Steven Britton]

Under Robert's the opportunity for making the motion to "Reconsider" is exhausted when the meeting is adjourned. Unless there is something prohibitive contained within your governing documents (bylaws, charter or applicable law) under Robert's, the original motion may be "Renewed" at a subsequent meeting. See RONR/11 pg. 336 - 344

However, I would caution that if you are a public body, you may be subject to "open meeting" or "sunshine laws."

[Guest Steve Krueger]

With a "Renew" motion the same individual cannot be placed for appointment because it would result in the motion being so nearly liked the rejected motion...is that correct?

[Steven Britton]

After a city council rejects a Mayor’s reappointment to a commission seat on a 4 to 3 vote with 1 excused absence,

No, that would be incorrect.

If the council rejects an original main motion at a previous meeting, the very same (identical) motion can be made at the next meeting; Provided that the next meeting is a new meeting and not a continuation of the prior meeting.

Example: If the motion was defeated at the December meeting, and January's meeting is an entirely new meeting (and not a continuation of the December meeting) it can be moved again as if it were never made in December.

[Josh Martin]

With a "Renew" motion the same individual cannot be placed for appointment because it would result in the motion being so nearly liked the rejected motion...is that correct?

The principle you're talking about only applies to renewing a motion during the same meeting (or a continuation thereof).

[Guest Steve Krueger]

I would like to ask one more way to make sure I have a grasp on the issue. The renewal, as stated in Robert's Rules, says no motion can be renewed during the same session in which it has already been before, my understanding has been a session, as related to a city council, is a series of consecutive meetings (normally one year) and is concluded with a sine die resulting in the dissolving of the assembly.

The word "session" in Robert's Rules is referring to one single council meeting even though it provides a separate definition of "meeting" describing the very same single time gathering?

Thank you for the clarification.

[Sean Hunt]

I would like to ask one more way to make sure I have a grasp on the issue. The renewal, as stated in Robert's Rules, says no motion can be renewed during the same session in which it has already been before, my understanding has been a session, as related to a city council, is a series of consecutive meetings (normally one year) and is concluded with a sine die resulting in the dissolving of the assembly.

The word "session" in Robert's Rules is referring to one single council meeting even though it provides a separate definition of "meeting" describing the very same single time gathering?

Thank you for the clarification.

In most assemblies, a session is one meeting. If this is not the case for your city council, then indeed, the motion would not be renewable since it would bring a question before the assembly for a second time in a single session. The best place to consult is the laws defining the council, and/or your internal rules---your attorney may be able to help with this.

If you do in fact have a long session spanning multiple meetings, then the matter can only be brought up again either by the motion to Reconsider, or by suspending the rules. The motion to Reconsider a decision can only be made at the same or next day on which meetings are held (so if you meet once a month, then it is allowed either at the meeting at which the decision was made or the one in the next month), and it must be made by a member who voted on the prevailing side.

[Guest Steve Krueger]

Thank you