CCATO By-laws
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BYLAWS OF THE CHESTER COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF TOWNSHIP OFFICIALS
Article I
Name
Section 1.The name of the Association shall be the Chester County Association of Township Officials
Article II
Purpose of The Association
Section 1. The purpose of this Association shall also be:
- To promote a better knowledge of the rights and duties of Township Officials and, by comparison of experiences and interchange of ideas, to arrive at the best way for township officials to discharge their duties.
- To secure, through friendly communication, a better acquaintance among Township Officials.
- To communicate with representatives of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Chester County Government and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors to secure legislation this will enable township government to function more efficiently.
- To provide ancillary and informational services to member townships and other local government organizations.
Article III
Membership
Section 1. All Township Supervisors, Secretaries, Treasurers, Managers, Auditors, Tax Collectors, Engineers, and Solicitors, or comparable representatives of home rule or option plan townships, shall be entitled to active membership.
Section 2. Honorary membership may be conferred upon such persons as may be elected by any convention of the association.
Section 3. Associate membership may be conferred upon such persons or organizations who qualify by the payment of dues, the amount and terms of which shall be established by the Executive Board and approved by the membership. Associate members will not be permitted to vote or to serve as officers or members of the Executive Board but will be permitted to participate in association activities at the invitation of the Board.
Article IV
Officers of the Association
Section 1. The officers of the Association shall be President, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, all of whom, except the Secretary shall be members of the Association.
Section 2. Assumption Of Duties. The officers of the Association shall assume the duties of their respective office on January 1st, following the convention at which they were elected and shall serve until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
Section 3. Vacancies. A vacancy shall occur at any time any officer or member of any committee, except the Secretary, ceases to be a township official or comparable representative of a home rule or optional plans township. All vacancies not otherwise provided for in these bylaws shall be filled by the Executive Board.
Article V
Election of Officers
Section 1. Elections. The officers of the Association shall be elected annually at the regularly called Fall Convention.
Section 2. Terms Of Office. Each of the elected officers, except the Secretary and Treasurer, of the Association shall serve for a term of one year and may succeed himself/herself in the office for one additional term. Thereafter, said officer must be out of office at least one year before again becoming eligible for re-election to the particular office in which he/she has served for two successive terms. The positions of Treasurer and Secretary shall be serve for a term of one year and may annually be elected to succeed himself/herself in that office.
Section 2a. An elected at large member of the Executive Board shall be eligible to serve one three year term of office on the Executive Board. Thereafter, said member must be out of office at least one year before again becoming eligible for re-election as a member at large.
Section 3. Eligible Voters. In the election of officers, only Township Supervisors, Tax Collectors, and Auditors in attendance at the convention when elections take place, may vote for said officers.
Section 4. Balloting. In all cases where more than one candidate is nominated for association office, the election shall be by secret ballot.
Article VI
Duties of Officers
Section 1. The president shall preside at all meetings of the membership, direct business, maintain order, perform all duties pertaining to the office of President, and appoint all standing committees.
Section 2. One of the Vice-Presidents, in order of rank, shall preside in the absence of the President.
Section 3. The Secretary shall provide for correct minutes of the proceedings of each meeting of the Association and Executive Board. The Treasurer shall properly care of all monies collected by the Association and be responsible for all disbursements of the funds of the Association.
Section 4. The President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall, by virtue of their offices, be members of the Executive Board with full voting rights except the Secretary who will not have full voting rights unless a member of the Association.
Section 5. If an officer shall fail, become unable, or become ineligible to perform the duties of his/her office, such vacancy shall continue until the election of officers at the next annual convention of the Association. During the period of any such vacancy, and during the period of any temporary absence or inability to perform the functions of office, the first vice-President, shall perform the duties of the absent President.
Article VII
Executive Board
Section 1. Qualification For Office. Members of the Executive Board must be an active member of the Association as prescribed in Article III, Section 1.
Section 2. Composition Of The Board. The Executive Board shall consist of the immediate past president of the Association as prescribed in Article VII, Section 2B of these Bylaws and nine voting members, including the four officers of the Association as prescribed in Article VI, Section 4 of the Bylaws and five at large members of the Association. Members at large of the Executive shall be elected for three-year terms at the regularly called convention as each term of the members previously elected to the Executive Board expires. For the initial term of the expanded board, one new member will be elected for a three year term and one new member will be elected for a two year term. There after at least one member shall stand for election each year. Any member of the Executive Committee or serving as an association officer of the Pennsylvania State Association of the Township Supervisors who is also an elected township official in Chester County shall serve as a non-voting member of the Executive Board of this Association. The immediate past President shall be a member of the Executive Board without voting rights, provided he is a Township Supervisor, Auditor, or Tax Collector, or comparable elected representative of a home rule or optional plans member township.
Section 3. Officers Of The Executive Board. The officers of the Association shall serve as the officers of the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall not conduct any business in the absence of a quorum, which shall consist of at least four voting members, as set forth in Article IV, Section 1. Article VII, Section 2.
Section 4. Meetings Of The Executive Board. The Executive Board shall meet, for the transaction of business, at least three times per year, at such time and place as fixed by the Executive Board. A special meeting of the Executive Board shall be called at any time by written action of three members or upon the call of the Secretary-Treasurer.
Section 5. Responsibilities Of The Executive Board. The Executive Board shall be charged with the following responsibilities:
- Maintaining communications between members of the Association and the Chester County State Senators, Legislators, member of State and County Government, and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Officials.
- Implementation of policies established by resolutions adopted by the Association.
- Cooperation and communications with other Municipal Associations in the region for betterment of local government
- The Executive Board shall have full charge of the affairs of the Association between meetings of the general membership.
- The Executive Board shall, annually, adopt a budget for the Association. The budget shall establish the dues assessed against member townships. All dues assessed shall be the same for all townships.
Article VIII
Standing Committees
Section 1. Committees. Following each Fall Convention, the president shall appoint a resolution committee of seven (7) members, a nominating committee of three (3) members, and an auditing committee of three (3) members. Special committees shall be appointed, as may be required.
Section 2. Resolution Committee. The Resolution Committee shall annually request from the member townships, resolutions to be considered by the Association. The committee shall prepare a list of the resolutions submitted along with any suggested by the committee members. This list along with the committee’s recommended action shall be submitted to all member townships at least four (4) weeks prior to the convention at which they are to be considered.
Section 3. Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall present to the Association at the Annual Fall Convention the names of the persons who are suitable and eligible to serve as Officers and Executive Section 4. Auditing Committee. The Auditing Committee shall, annually, prior to the Spring Convention, audit the financial records of the Association and present a report to the Association at the Spring Convention.
Article IX
Meetings Of The Association
Section 1. Meetings. Meetings of the Association shall be held at least semi-annually at such date and such place as shall be fixed by the Executive Board
Section 2. Quorum. At any meeting of the Association, thirty-five percent (35%) of the member townships hall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 3. Voting At Meetings. Except for the lection of officers, on any question before the Association, one delegate elected by each township in accordance with the law shall be entitled to vote at the meeting of the County Association, provided the township has paid its dues to the County Association for the current year.
Article X
Amendments
Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Association by majority vote of the voting townships present and voting. All proposed amendments shall be mailed to each member township at least four (4) weeks prior to the meeting at which the amendment will be considered.
Adopted January 12, 1907
Amended March 5, 1998 to incorporate language found in Section 1401(d) of Revised Township Code
Amended November 8, 2002
Amended November 8, 2007
Amended November 10, 2011 to add Article 3, Section 3