Guest iamgeezzy Posted July 25, 2023 at 07:38 PM Report Share Posted July 25, 2023 at 07:38 PM If there are 8 remaining members of a public body, what is considered a majority of the remaining members? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamgeezzy Posted July 25, 2023 at 08:11 PM Report Share Posted July 25, 2023 at 08:11 PM If the legislative total is (9) nine members and (1) one member resigns leaving (8) eight remaining members, what is considered a majority? Is (4) four a majority? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drake Savory Posted July 25, 2023 at 08:25 PM Report Share Posted July 25, 2023 at 08:25 PM It still would be 5. 4 is not more than half. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted July 25, 2023 at 10:19 PM Report Share Posted July 25, 2023 at 10:19 PM On 7/25/2023 at 3:38 PM, Guest iamgeezzy said: If there are 8 remaining members of a public body, what is considered a majority of the remaining members? A majority of eight is five. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamgeezzy Posted July 25, 2023 at 10:21 PM Report Share Posted July 25, 2023 at 10:21 PM Thank you very much! That's what I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshua Katz Posted July 25, 2023 at 10:31 PM Report Share Posted July 25, 2023 at 10:31 PM I agree with the answers above, but you'll have to consult the relevant law to determine if they answer what you actually want to know, namely, how many votes it takes to act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted July 25, 2023 at 10:46 PM Report Share Posted July 25, 2023 at 10:46 PM On 7/25/2023 at 2:38 PM, Guest iamgeezzy said: If there are 8 remaining members of a public body, what is considered a majority of the remaining members? A majority is "more than half." So a majority of eight members is five. But additional context about why it is necessary to know this may be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted July 26, 2023 at 12:19 AM Report Share Posted July 26, 2023 at 12:19 AM The usual question that comes up in this regard is whether quorum is affected. If quorum is defined as a majority of the members, this is usually not an issue. If some number of members leave, the quorum adjusts automatically, so that it never becomes impossible to achieve (until there are no members). If quorum is a fixed number, then too many resignations can create a situation where a quorum cannot be achieved. To compensate, some bylaws or statutes provide that filling vacancies can always be accomplished by the remaining members even fewer than a quorum. Once the vacancies are filled, normal business can resume. Bylaws that do not contain such relief are a real problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh Martin Posted July 26, 2023 at 01:57 PM Report Share Posted July 26, 2023 at 01:57 PM On 7/25/2023 at 7:19 PM, Gary Novosielski said: The usual question that comes up in this regard is whether quorum is affected. If quorum is defined as a majority of the members, this is usually not an issue. If some number of members leave, the quorum adjusts automatically, so that it never becomes impossible to achieve (until there are no members). If quorum is a fixed number, then too many resignations can create a situation where a quorum cannot be achieved. To compensate, some bylaws or statutes provide that filling vacancies can always be accomplished by the remaining members even fewer than a quorum. Once the vacancies are filled, normal business can resume. Bylaws that do not contain such relief are a real problem. Yes, but the other context this comes up in is voting thresholds - sometimes because the organization's rules or applicable law actually provide for a threshold of "a majority of the remaining members," but other times because the organization incorrectly assumes this is the threshold. So as I noted, additional context would be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted July 26, 2023 at 09:05 PM Report Share Posted July 26, 2023 at 09:05 PM On 7/26/2023 at 9:57 AM, Josh Martin said: Yes, but the other context this comes up in is voting thresholds - sometimes because the organization's rules or applicable law actually provide for a threshold of "a majority of the remaining members," but other times because the organization incorrectly assumes this is the threshold. So as I noted, additional context would be helpful. It would be, agreed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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