Article I.           Name and Enabling Act

The Association shall be known as the “Chester County Association of Township Officials,” herein referred to as the “Association,” formed under Article XIV of Act 69 of 1933, as reenacted by Act 60 of 1995.

Article II.           Purpose of the Association

To promote excellence in local government by advocating, educating, and facilitating communications for the betterment and quality of life of the citizens of Chester County.

Article III.        Membership

Section 3.01         General Members

All individuals holding elected office or appointed officials in the position of Manager, Secretary, Tax Collector, Treasurer, or Auditor in Chester County Townships and are current on yearly dues.

Section 3.02         Voting Members

Every member Township may select a General Member to be the one voting member for the annual Association meeting. General Members may also be selected to be a delegate to vote on behalf of the Association at the PSATS conference, provided their township is current in yearly dues.

Section 3.03         Associate Members

Associate membership may be conferred on elected or appointed officials of a city of the Third Class and elected and appointed officials of a Borough or comparable representative of a home rule municipality in Chester County Pennsylvania. Associate Members can also be Mayors, Treasurers, Auditors, Controllers, Tax Collectors, Managers (Administrators), and Secretaries of a Borough. Associate members receive all benefits as General Members provided current in yearly dues, except voting rights and may not serve on the Executive Board.

Section 3.04         Affiliate Sponsors

Affiliate sponsors may be conferred on such persons and organizations that support the Association financially such as organizations, solicitors, and engineers, by application, payment, and approval of the Executive Board.

Section 3.05         Dues

Membership dues for municipalities shall be structured in tiers defined by the population of the municipality of Chester County, at the most recent decennial census and established by the Executive Board and approved at the annual Association meeting in the budget submission.

Dues for other organizations and Affiliate sponsors shall be decided by the Executive Board and approved by the voting members as part of the budget submission at the Annual Association meeting.

Article IV.        Officers and Executive Board

The Executive Board of the Association is comprised of elected Officers and Board members.

Section 4.01         Elected Officers

(a)            President

(b)           First Vice President

(c)            Second Vice President

(d)           Treasurer

Section 4.02         Board Members

There shall be five at-large members of the Board.

Section 4.03          Alternate Board Members

There shall be two Alternate Board Members. The Alternate Board members may become voting members for the Board when a quorum of voting members is not present and the presiding officer requests them to perform that duty.

Section 4.04         State Association Executive Board Member               

Any member of the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors Executive Board who is also a member as defined in Section 3.01, shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Board.

Section 4.05         Vacancies

Any vacancy will be filled by vote of the Executive Board. The appointed person shall serve for the remainder of the calendar year. Thereafter, the Nominating Committee shall place before the Association at the next available meeting the name(s) of individuals to serve the remaining term of the vacant seat, if any.

Section 4.06         Borough Representative

In December of each year, the President-Elect shall appoint a Borough representative as a non-voting member of the Executive Board for the following calendar year.

Article V.          Election of Officers and Executive Board

Section 5.01         Term of Office

All candidates for President or Vice Presidents must have served on the Executive Board and candidates for President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer, the five At-Large and Alternate Board Members must be an elected official, and a General Member when elected and during their tenure. All terms of office shall begin on January 1st of the calendar year following the election. President, Vice Presidents, and Treasurer – the term of office shall be one year, and an individual may not serve more than four (4) consecutive terms.

• Board Members – One three-year term with no consecutive term. If more than two vacancies occur in the same year, the first two terms will be three years and the remaining terms two years.
• Alternate Board Members – One year term with no more than four (4) consecutive terms.

Section 5.02         Voting

Each dues-current Township shall select one (1) representative from their qualified General Members defined in Section 3.02 who must be present at the fall Association meeting to cast a vote on any election of officers or issues.

Voting by proxy is not allowed.

Any contested election shall be by secret ballot.

Nominations may arise from the floor for any individual qualified for an office and who certifies in person or writing they will accept the duties and responsibilities of the office for which they are nominated.

Article VI.        Duties of Officers and Executive Board

Section 6.01         President

The President shall be the executive head of the Association and exercise all the power and perform all the duties usually pertaining to the office. The President shall set the date(s) of and chair all meetings of the Executive Board. The President shall appoint all members of committees as defined in Article VII Committees. The President shall work with the Executive Director and Secretary in their capacities carrying forth the duties of the Association.

Section 6.02         Vice Presidents

The Vice President(s) in order of rank shall preside in the absence of the President.

Section 6.03         Treasurer

The Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds belonging to the Association in a bank approved by the Executive Board in the name of the Association and (1) properly care for the monies collected by the Association; (2) maintain accurate financial records of the Association which shall be open to inspection by the Executive Board upon request; (3) prepare payments for all approved expenditures; (4) provide materials required by the Audit Committee; (5) assure optimal separation of duties for financial transactions; and, (6) present financial reports at each meeting of the Executive Board.

Section 6.04         Executive Board

The Executive Board shall have full charge of the affairs of the Association including:

adopting a budget annually for the Association; establishing dues and fees; being responsible for the implementation of the policies established by resolution of the Association; cooperating, and communicating with other municipal organizations; and maintaining communications with

County and State officials and the Pennsylvania Association of Township Supervisors.

Section 6.05         Executive Director and Secretary

The Executive Board may appoint an Executive Director and Secretary at a compensation determined by the Executive Board, on an annual basis with powers and duties to serve the Association and Executive Board. The Executive Board may enter an Independent Contractor Agreement with the Executive Director and Secretary to further define their scope of duties.

Article VII.       Committees

The President-Elect shall define and appoint eligible members to the standing committees before January 1, following the Annual Association Meeting.

Section 7.01         Standing Committees

(a)            Auditing Committee – Three (3) Members. Annually the Auditing Committee shall review the accounts of the Association and present a report to the Executive Board.        
              Members of the Auditing Committee shall be either members of the Association or Certified Public Accountants and not serving as an Officer or Board Member of the Association.

(b)           Nominating Committee- Three (3) Members. The Nominating Committee, in collaboration with the Executive Director and Secretary, shall present to the Association a slate of eligible and suitable candidates for a vote by dues-paying Townships. This slate will cover any position where the term expires at the end of the calendar year or to fill a vacancy for the remainder of a term. 
              Members of the Nominating Committee shall not be Executive Board members of the Association.

(c) Resolutions Committee – Seven (7) Members. The Resolutions Committee shall poll the member Townships for suggested Resolutions. The Committee may originate resolutions in addition to those submitted by townships. The resolutions shall be presented to the voting member municipalities at least four (4) weeks before the Association meeting when an approval vote will occur.

Section 7.02         Ad Hoc Committees

Ad Hoc Committees shall be formed to handle unique topics or issues and shall have at least one member of the Executive Board as a participant and be authorized by the Executive Board.

Article VIII.     Meeting

Section 8.01         Meeting of the Association

An Association meeting shall be held annually at the time, place, and format established by the Executive Board.

Section 8.02         Quorum for Association Meeting Vote

A quorum shall be defined as 15% of the municipalities of the Association that are current with their dues. To approve any action of the Association, a majority vote of the voting members present shall be required.

Section 8.03         Meetings of the Executive Board

The Executive Board shall meet at least three times per year at a time and place set by the President or by the written request of three members of the Executive Board.

Section 8.04         Quorum of the Executive Board

Four (4) voting members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum. Should a quorum not be present for a scheduled meeting the presiding officer may select an Alternate Board Member to become a voting member for that meeting.

Article IX.        Compensation

Section 9.01         Officers and Board Members

Officers and Board Members of the Association shall not be compensated.

Article X.         Rules of Order

Section 10.01      Robert’s Rules of Order

The rules of parliamentary procedure as laid down in Robert’s Rules of Order, as stated in the “Informal Procedures for Small Boards” shall govern all meetings of the Association. The rules may be suspended or reinstated by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

Article XI.        Amendments

Section 11.01      Notice

Proposed amendments to these Bylaws shall be conveyed to the member Townships a minimum of four (4) weeks before the fall Association meeting at which they will be considered.

Section 11.02      Vote

Bylaws may be amended in whole or part by a majority vote of the voting members present at the fall Association meeting. See Section 8.02 Quorum for Association Meeting Voting.