Meeting Adjourned Amid Open Motion

[Guest GaCo Resident]

This past Wednesday night we had a commissioner make a motion to fire our county manager. The motion was seconded and a call to vote immediately happened. After the call to vote, a disgruntled commissioner (our Chairperson) and the county manager began asking for definitions and reasons. Before the commissioners could vote, the commissioner that seconded the motion collapsed. He came to a couple of minutes later, and was escorted out and taken to the hospital via ambulance. The chair person immediately adjourned the meeting. She did not call a recess, nor did they vote to table the motion to the next meeting. There was not even a vote or a motion to adjourn. They have now scheduled a special meeting for another issue, and we are trying to see if there is anything stating that the open motion must be priority? Or, suggestions/protocol on how to move forward? 

[Rob Elsman]

On 10/24/2022 at 10:37 AM, Guest GaCo Resident said:

and a call to vote immediately happened.

Debate doesn't just "happen" to be shut off.  I'll bet my radish sandwich that there was something improper about this.

On 10/24/2022 at 10:37 AM, Guest GaCo Resident said:

The chair person immediately adjourned the meeting.

You can tell she's a very powerful person--even more powerful than the Board of Commissioners.  She doesn't know the first thing about presiding over meetings, though.  She just throws her weight around and gets what she wants.  To **** with what the other commissioners might think or want.  It's all about her, and her alone.

On 10/24/2022 at 10:37 AM, Guest GaCo Resident said:

if there is anything stating that the open motion must be priority

If the call of the special meeting to deal with the "other issue" does not include the topic that was left pending, then the pending question cannot be considered at the special meeting; it would be left pending until the next regular meeting held within the quarterly time interval if the terms of some or all of the commissioners do not end.

GaCo, I get the strong impression that this Board of Commissioners does not know the first thing about parliamentary procedure.  Sure, it puts up a facade, with motions and seconds and such.  It may look terribly officious, but, in truth, the board is very likely wholly ignorant about correct parliamentary procedure.  That's why the Worshipful Master of the Universe gets by with throwing her weight around.

Edited October 24, 2022 at 04:18 PM by Rob Elsman

[Gary Novosielski]

On 10/24/2022 at 11:37 AM, Guest GaCo Resident said:

This past Wednesday night we had a commissioner make a motion to fire our county manager. The motion was seconded and a call to vote immediately happened. After the call to vote, a disgruntled commissioner (our Chairperson) and the county manager began asking for definitions and reasons. Before the commissioners could vote, the commissioner that seconded the motion collapsed. He came to a couple of minutes later, and was escorted out and taken to the hospital via ambulance. The chair person immediately adjourned the meeting. She did not call a recess, nor did they vote to table the motion to the next meeting. There was not even a vote or a motion to adjourn. They have now scheduled a special meeting for another issue, and we are trying to see if there is anything stating that the open motion must be priority? Or, suggestions/protocol on how to move forward? 

Discussion of that matter will not be in order at the Special meeting unless it is described in the call of the meeting. It is permissible to handle two issues at one meeting, but they both have to be described in advance in the call.  It sounds like that was not done.

However since this motion was pending at the time of adjournment, it should properly come up in the same parliamentary situation it was in at the time of adjournment, as the first item of business under Unfinished Business at the next regular meeting (presuming it occurs within a quarterly time interval.) 

I"m not absolutely certain what "call to vote" is, or how it "happened", but as there were apparently questions posed and reasons requested, I suspect proper debate was somehow short-circuited.  A motion to call the Previous Question requires two-thirds approval.  It does not simply "happen". 

[Richard Brown]

For openers, please tell us whether this is a public body of some sort, such as a city or county council, school board, zoning board, or other governmental organization?    If this is a public body, there are almost certainly state and maybe local laws and rules that would supersede the rules in RONR.

RONR does state that in an emergency, the chair may declare a meeting adjourned without a motion or vote if the emergency is one that affects the safety of those present, such as fire, riot or other extreme emergency.  I doubt that this was such an occasion, but what was done is done.  Once the chair declared the meeting adjourned and the members left, the meeting was indeed over.

On 10/24/2022 at 10:37 AM, Guest GaCo Resident said:

They have now scheduled a special meeting for another issue, and we are trying to see if there is anything stating that the open motion must be priority? Or, suggestions/protocol on how to move forward? 

If the rules in RONR govern (which may or may not be the case), only the items listed in the call of the special meeting may be taken up at the special meeting.  A special meeting doesn't "pick up" where the previous meeting left off.  It is a "special" meeting called to consider one or more specific issues listed in the notice.  If you can have this item added to the call of the meeting, then it can be taken up then.  Otherwise, another special meeting must be called or this item can be put back on the agenda for the next regular meeting as unfinished business.