[MissoulaGov] On having a quorum

[Jed Taylor]

Here's Wikipedia <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quorum>  on the subject.  I
see Mason's is $60, so I guess further exploration requires a trip to
library, but I trust each Council member gets a copy along with the laptop.
 
In general, though, I want to express my support of Ross Best's position
that a committee should have a quorum to conduct business.  He's quite
correct that it's nonsensical to say that it's ok to conduct business when
the number required to conduct business isn't present.
 
I understand that it's not always possible for every committee member to
attend every meeting; nonetheless, if enough members aren't in attendance,
it's simply improper for a governmental body to conduct business.  That's
why a quorum is less than the total number of members, and typically only
half.
 
I understand that no one's getting rich serving on the Council, and that
such service requires grappling with a wide range of technical and arcane
issues.  Between meetings, research, and reading stuff like this email, I'd
imagine it's at least a 1/2 time job.  I have no doubt that none of the
Council members are getting paid what their work is worth; it may be
impossible to really do so.  Even so, anyone who decides to run should
understand and accept the responsibility to make scheduled meetings and the
effect failing to do so has on both fellow members and the citizens they
serve.
 
I suspect that this issue, as a practical matter, appears very infrequently,
and that's a good thing.  And, yes, it would be quite inconvenient to those
who appear at a scheduled meeting to find it's not going to be held.  But
what's convenient shouldn't trump what's right, and the right thing to do
(and perhaps even the legal thing) is either have a quorum or adjourn.  I
hope the Council will decide to stop trying to write a rule that excuses a
lack of a quorum and simply accept the requirement to have one to conduct
its business, as well as the consequences that naturally follow.
 
 


  _____  

"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://www.cmslists.com/pipermail/missoulagov/attachments/20090215/00cacf51/attachment.htm>