Education Officer Election
To the Constitution and Bylaws Committee of the Utah County Republican Party:
As a member of the Utah County Republican Party Central Committee, I, Lisa Shepherd, wish to request a change to the Constitution (and subsequently affected Bylaws) of the Utah County Republican Party and wish to put this request before the Bylaws Committee, Central Committee and the delegates for their consideration.
Currently, our Party Chair appoints an Education Chair, as well, four other positions on the Steering Committee.
Currently, the rest of the party is structured to elect Education Chairs on the Legislative District level (Article III - Organization and Powers, C). Each District officer is elected.
Currently, there are no appointments of precinct officers on the precinct level. Each officer is elected.
The Education Chair is an ex-official delegate and should be elected by the body of the delegates at the convention as the Precinct officers elect the Legislative District Education Chair.
I would not favor the appointment of the District level Education Chairs and I believe our party structure should be consistent.
In an effort to provide the Party with one more elected leader who is selected by the delegates as a whole, I believe that providing the opportunity for any interested person to run for this office will give the delegates the right to select one more County Level position.
CONSTITUTION –
Article III - Organization and Powers
D. The –four – five elected officers of the Utah County Republican Party shall be elected by ballot at the Utah County Republican Party Organizing Convention, and shall consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Education Officer, and Treasurer, whose terms of office begin two weeks after the Organizing Convention.
E. The Utah County Republican Party shall be governed by three Committees:
1. The Steering Committee shall consist of the – four – five Elected County Party Officers; and ---five– four Appointed Officers: ---an Education Officer,--- a Finance Officer, an Organization Officer, a Volunteers Officer, and a Public Relations & Media Officer.
BYLAWS –
Bylaw 4 - Financial and Budget Policies
G. When the Steering Committee makes payments for authorized expenditures from party funds, such payments shall be made only by check, shall require the co-signatures of any two of the --four-- five Elected County Party Officers, and shall have been approved by the appropriate governing committee as budgeted.
Bylaw 5 - Republican Party Accountability
A. Elected and Appointed Officers - All elected and appointed Party officers, including
County Party Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Education Officer, and appointed Officers and Committee Members; all Legislative District Chairs, Vice-Chairs, Education Officers and Committee members; all Voting Precinct Chairs, Vice-Chairs, Secretaries, Treasurers, and Committee Members; and members of any other standing and/or ad hoc committees shall, upon assuming office, agree to:
Bylaw 5 - Republican Party Accountability
C. County Party Officers - All county level Party officers including the County Chair,
Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, Education Officer; and the –five-- four Appointed Officers; must show pre-convention and primary neutrality toward Republican candidates for public office where Republican opposition exists. Such things as, but not limited to, written endorsements, the use of officers' names in campaign literature, and letters to the editor favoring one Republican candidate over another are prohibited for these officers until the Party has chosen a nominee for the office in question. All other Party Officers at the Legislative District and Precinct levels are not subject to the neutrality requirement, but may not use their party office titles either verbally or in writing in any campaign endorsement materials or public statements for any candidate in pre-primary elections.
Bylaw 7 – Meetings and Conventions
E Organizing Convention
2. The Utah County Republican Party Organizing Convention business shall include the election by ballot of the –four-- five County Party Officers and the State Central Committee members as provided in the Bylaws. Only qualified members who filed a declaration of their candidacy with the County Party Secretary at least fourteen days before the convention shall have their names placed on the ballots provided by the Party. The Convention Chair shall certify to the Convention the election results.
Bylaw 10 - Officers and Delegates
D. In case of death, physical or mental disability, resignation or removal from office for cause of any elected party official or delegate or in the case of a vacancy for any other reason, the order of succession or the method of replacement to fill the unexpired term of office shall be as follows:
5. These ---five--- four appointed officers shall be nominated by a majority of the ----four--- five Elected County Party Officers and approved by the Executive Committee and the Central Committee, and shall serve only during the term of the four Elected County Party Officers.
