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OCMA Constitution and Bylaws

October 3, 2024 in Uncategorized

Article 1 General

Section 1
The name of this organization shall be the Ohio City/County Management Association. 

Section 2 
The Association shall be an unincorporated nonprofit association, which, by the adoption of this Constitution is hereby created.

Article II Purpose

Section 1

The purpose of this Association shall be to contribute to the continuing improvement of local government in Ohio; to maintain and develop the professional competence of its members through discussion and exchange of information, ideas, and experience; to maintain and develop relationships with organizations to the improvement of local government.

    Article III Members

    Section 1.    FULL MEMBERS     All local government employees working in Ohio may become Full members of the Association upon application and payment of dues to O.C.M.A.  A Member in Transition shall be considered a Full Member.

    Section 2.     AFFILIATE MEMBERS     Any person who does not otherwise meet the qualifications for Full Membership who is working for a non-commercial entity with an interest in local government in Ohio. This may include any person working academia, or at another level of government, and any person from another state who indicates a desire to meet with this Association may also become an Affiliate member.  

    Section 3.     RETIRED MEMBERS  Any person who is no longer employed on a full time basis in local government.

    Section 4.  LIFE MEMBERS The Association may, from time to time upon the recommendation of the Executive Board, honor a member of the profession by bestowing upon the individual the status of Life Member. The individual receiving the honor (1) must be eligible for retirement in a qualified retirement program, (2) must have retired from active service in local government, (3) must have been a participating and contributing Full member of the Association, (4) must have worked in support of the profession as well as for the betterment of the profession, (5) must have been a Full Member who has completed twenty-five years of local government service, during which at least 50 percent of the service the member has been eligible to be an officer of the Association and the rest of the time the member was a full member of the applicable state association(s), or has been a Full Member who has been eligible to be an officer of the Association for at least fifteen years and retired from active service with a local government at age sixty-five or older.  Life Member status must be requested in writing by at least three (3) endorsing Full members other than the proposed Life member.  Confirmation of Life member status must be approved by a majority of the Executive Board and by at least a 75 percent majority of the Full members present and voting thereon. Life member status shall be placed in abeyance if the member returns to active service, in any form, in local government.

    Section 5.    HONORARY MEMBERS     The Association may, from time to time upon the recommendation of its Executive Board, elect to honorary membership in the Association persons who have rendered distinguished service to or in support of the profession and to local government.  Honorary membership is intended to be highly selective and limited and must be approved by at least a 75 percent majority of the Full members present and voting thereon.  

    Section 6.     EMERGING LEADER     Individuals enrolled in a graduate or under-graduate program and/or municipal interns may become an Emerging Leader member of the Association.  

    Section 7.    ELIGIBILITY        Eligibility in any classification shall be determined by the Executive Board which shall establish a procedure for admission to membership.  Under no circumstances shall an elected official, or someone who is actively seeking elected office, be eligible for membership.

    Section 8.     VOTING RIGHTS    The right to vote upon matters coming before the Association shall be limited to Full, Life and Retired members, and each eligible member shall have one equal vote upon each matter submitted for vote to the membership.  

    Section 9.     DUES        The annual dues of members shall be as determined from time to time by the Executive Board.  Life members, Emerging Leaders, Members in Transition, and Honorary members shall be exempt from dues.  Dues shall be payable January 1 of each year.  Any member whose dues are in arrears for a period of four months, shall be suspended from membership and notified in writing of his/her suspension. 

    Section 10.     EXPULSION         The Executive Board by a 2/3 vote of its constituted membership, may suspend or revoke the membership of any member of the Association whose personal or professional conduct is deemed by the Executive Board to be detrimental to the best interest of the Association.  No member shall have his/her membership suspended or revoked without due notice and a reasonable opportunity for a hearing before the Executive Board.  A member whose membership has been revoked may be restored to membership by a 2/3 vote of the constituted membership of the Executive Board.  

    Section 11.    RESIGNATION     Any member under any classification may resign his/her membership by a written notice to the secretary-treasurer of his/her desire to do so.  

    Article IV Officers

    Section 1 Officers

    • The officers shall be president, vice-president, secretary-treasure, 3 directors at-large of which one shall be an Assistant Manager representative. These officers together with the immediate past president shall constitute the Executive Board.
    • Officers shall be active members of the Association. With the except of the Secretary-Treasurer who serves a 2-year, appointed term, their terms of office shall be 1 year but shall terminate in the event an officer is no longer eligible for Full Membership. The president and vice-president may succeed themselves in office as a result of extraordinary circumstances, including but not limited to a termination or resignation of an officer and upon approval of the membership. (Amended February 26, 2016)
    • Vacancies shall be filled within 30 days from the creation of the vacancy by a majority vote of the Executive Board. 

    Section 2 Nominations and Elections

    • At a meeting held annually before July 1, the Association shall elect officers, who shall take office on July 1, and serve during the next 12 months.
    • The 3 most recent past presidents who remain as members of the Association shall serve as the nominating committee and shall report their nominations at the meeting. Open nominations shall also be permitted from the floor. 
    • Section 3 Fiscal Year 
      • The fiscal year of the organization runs from July 1 thru June 30.

    Article V Board

    Section 1. PRESIDENT The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association; shall preside, when present, at all meetings of the Association; shall be the chairman of the Executive Board; shall appoint the members of all committees established by the Executive Board; shall issue the call for all regular or special meetings of the Association and the Executive Board as provided by Article VI; and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him by the Association or the Executive Board. The president shall be an active and Full Member of the Association in good standing.

    Section 2 Vice President. The Vice-President shall perform such duties as may be assigned to him by the President, the Executive Board, or the Association. Upon the absence or inability of the President to perform his duties, the Vice-President shall occupy the position and perform the duties of the President so long as such absence or inability shall continue. The Vice President shall be an active and Full Member of the Association in Good Standing.

    Section 3 Secretary-Treasurer. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep and maintain all records and proceeding of the Association in books designed for such purpose. They shall keep an accurate record of all monies received and disbursed by the Association, and shall report at least annually and at such other times as required by the Executive Board the status of all financial accounts to the Association or its Executive Board. The Secretary-Treasurer shall be appointed by the Executive Board and be an active member of the association. This position shall be a non-voting position on the Board. The Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a 2-year term.

    Section 4 Directors At-Large. Two (2) directors at-large shall be nominated and elected to the Board by the membership and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to them by the Executive Board. The At-Large Board members shall be active and Full Members of the Association in good standing.

    Section 5 Past President. The past president shall be active in the State of Ohio. Should a past president discontinue service to Ohio for a period of 9 months or the balance of their term, whichever is the lesser time they shall not be eligible to serve. A vacancy may be filled by appointment of a former past president in service to Ohio and shall none be available the position shall remain vacant for the remainder of the term.

    Section 7 Executive Board. The Executive Board shall govern the affairs of the Association during the period between annual meetings; may expend monies of the Association, and shall from time to time make recommendations to the Association concerning the conduct of the business of the Association; may fill, by appointment, any vacancies occurring in any Association office as provided herein for the balance of the unexpired term of such position; and may create and establish such standing or special committees as may be required for the orderly conduct of the business of the Association Membership on policies and needs of the Association and the profession of urban management in the state. At least one member of the Executive Board shall be an Assistant Manager Representative, active in the State of Ohio. This Assistant representative may be in one of the following roles:

    1. Assistant or an Assistant To a City/Village/Township Administrator/Manager
    2. Assistant or Deputy County Administrator
    3. Public Safety Director or Assistant Public Safety Director
    4. Department Director

    Article VI Meetings

    • Section 1
      The general membership of the Association shall meet annually.
    • Section 2
      There may be such other regular or special meetings of the Association as may be determined by the Executive Board.

    Article VII Amendments

    • Section 1
      The general membership of the Association shall meet annually.
    • Section 2
      There may be such other regular or special meetings of the Association as may be determined by the Executive Board.

    Article VII Amendments

    Section 1. Amendments to this Constitution may be made by the active members of the Association at any meeting thereof; provided that a copy of any proposed amendment has been furnished to each active member at least ten days prior to the meeting at which such amendment is to be acted upon. An affirmative vote of a majority of those active members present shall be sufficient to carry such amendment.

    Section 1  
    The Executive Board shall have the power to adopt such Bylaws as it deems necessary, said Bylaws to be sent to the members for review and comment at least 30 days prior to their effective date. 

    This Constitution was adopted September 26, 1974 by a majority of Association members and supersedes the OCMA Constitution and Bylaws adopted May 23, 1969.

    Amendments

    • Section 2 of Article IV amended September 27, 1979 to provide for election of officers in the Spring instead of the Fall. 
    • Section 1 of Article I amended February 21, 2001 to change the name of the organization from the Ohio City Management Association to the Ohio City/County Management Association. 
    • Section 3 of Article IV amended June 7, 2001 to provide for a fiscal year running July 1 to June 30. 
    • Section 1 of Article IV was amended January 28, 2004 to allow the president and vice president to succeed themselves in office as a result of a termination or resignation of an officer and upon approval of the membership. 
    • Section 1 of Article IV was amended February 29, 2008 to add the OAMMA representative as an officer of the Executive Board and to add the requirement that officers’ terms shall terminate with discontinuance of service to Ohio for a period of 9 months or the balance of their terms, whichever is the lesser time.
    • Sections 1 and 2 of Article V was amended February 29, 2008 to stat that the President and Vice President shall be an active City/Village/Township Administrator/Manager, County Administrator, or Public Safety Director.
    • Section 3 of Article V was amended February 29, 2008 to state that the Secretary-Treasurer shall be appointed for a 2-year terms by the Board and shall be a non-voting position on the Board.
    • Section 4 of Article V was amended February 29, 2008 to state that the OAMMA representative shall be nominated by the nominating committee and approved by the Board and shall be a voting member of the Board.
    • Section 5 of Article V was amended February 29, 2008 to clarify that 2 directors-at-large are nominated and elected to the Board by the membership.
    • Section 6 of Article V was amended February 29, 2008 to say the past president shall be active in the state of Ohio and to allow for a former past president to fill the balance of the term should a past president discontinue service to Ohio.
    • Section 1 of Article IV and Section 4 of Article V were amended February 23, 2012 to replace OAMMA Representative with Assistant Manager Representative.
    • Article III Sections 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8 were amended on April 7, 2023 to state that all persons working in local government in Ohio were eligible to be Full Members of the Association. In addition, Members in Transition are considered Full Members such that if an officer loses their position that they can maintain their seat on the board. The definition of the Assistant Manager Representative was also added to Article V Section 7 to be more inclusive of assistant positions in local government in Ohio.