Form of a Motion

[Guest firecop25]

If a person appears before a body (Village Board, City Council etc) and presents information and facts, and requests a specific action, as an example relief from a contested bill, can the motion be made in a negative context (Motion to Deny) or is it more proper to ask for a Motion to Approve and let it die for lack of a Motion or lack of Second? Also is it proper to indicate in the minutes that APPROVED be used when the Motion was made to Deny request?

[jstackpo]

RONR states flat out that you should NOT phrase a motion in the negative as it leads to confusion and misunderstandings. For example if a "Motion to deny" is defeated, does that mean that the request is approved? Maybe, maybe not. it depends how strictly you may follow the rules of logic (and I'll bet those rules are not in your bylaw).

So phrase the motion "To approve" the request, then adopt it or defeat it. That is clear as to your (collective) intent.

[Tim Wynn]

If a person appears before a body (Village Board, City Council etc) and presents information and facts, and requests a specific action, as an example relief from a contested bill, can the motion be made in a negative context (Motion to Deny) or is it more proper to ask for a Motion to Approve and let it die for lack of a Motion or lack of Second? Also is it proper to indicate in the minutes that APPROVED be used when the Motion was made to Deny request?

See RONR(10th ed.), p. 100, l. 18-32, which indicates that negatives should be avoided when drafting motions.

[Gary Novosielski]

Also is it proper to indicate in the minutes that APPROVED be used when the Motion was made to Deny request?

No, it is appropriate for the minutes to indicate verbatim, what the actual motion was.