Bylaws

Current as of March 18, 2006 and as Amended on March 14, 2020
LPTexas Bylaws Templates: Word (editable) & PDF (fillable)
2022 Proposed Sets of Bylaws Amendments for your viewing & commenting consideration:
here & here

ARTICLE I. Name of the Organization

The name of this organization shall be the Travis County Libertarian Party, hereinafter referred to as the TCLP. The TCLP is an affiliate of the Libertarian Party of Texas, hereinafter referred to as the TexasLP.

ARTICLE II. Purpose of the Organization

The purpose of the TCLP is to implement and give voice to the principles of the TexasLP.

ARTICLE III. Members

A member of the TCLP shall be defined as any member of the TexasLP who resides in Travis County.

ARTICLE IV. Organization

There shall be three (3) elected Officers of the TCLP: Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. These shall form the initial Executive Committee. All Officers must be TCLP members. All Officers shall be elected by a majority vote, in a secret ballot, at a regular County Convention. The new Officers shall assume their duties immediately upon the adjournment of the Convention which elected them and shall serve at the pleasure of the TCLP members for a term of two years or until the election of their successors.
Up to four (4) additional Directors may be appointed by a majority of the current Executive Committee to serve as full members of the Executive Committee. A Director shall take office upon appointment and shall serve until the next regular Convention or until removal. All Directors must be TCLP members.
The Chair shall be the principal and presiding officer of the Executive Committee and the chief executive officer of the TCLP.

Any member of the Executive Committee may be removed in any of the following ways:

• A vote by a majority of the Executive Committee to remove the member.
• A vote of “no confidence” by the membership. At any business meeting of the Executive Committee, any TCLP member may make a motion to take a vote of “no confidence” in an Executive Committee member. Such a motion shall supersede all other motions in priority other than points of order, points of inquiry, and adjournment. If a majority of TCLP members present vote in favor of the motion, the Executive Committee member shall be removed.
• Resignation.

If an Executive Committee member ceases to qualify as a TCLP member, he or she shall be removed from the Executive Committee.

A vacancy in the office of Chair, Secretary, or Treasurer will be filled by a special convention, scheduled no earlier than 14 days and no later than 30 days after the vacancy occurs. The Secretary shall issue a notice to TCLP members at least seven days prior to such convention of the agenda, location and schedule of such convention. If the Secretary is one of the vacant offices, the Chair shall issue such notice. If the Chair is one of the vacant offices, a special convention chair will be elected from the TCLP members present.

The Chair may appoint one of the other Executive Committee members to serve as Vice Chair for the TCLP. The Vice Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair on a temporary basis upon request of the Chair or when the Chair is unable to attend a regularly scheduled function of the TCLP.

No person shall hold multiple Executive Committee offices, with the exception of the Vice Chair, who may also serve as Secretary or Treasurer. In no event shall an Executive Committee member be allowed to cast more than one vote on matters before the Executive Committee. There shall be no vote by proxy.

It will be the duty of the Chair to issue an annual report of the progress of the TCLP at the completion of the year. This report will be issued no later than the February monthly business meeting of the TCLP.

The Executive Committee shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the TCLP, exercising full authority over the affairs of the TCLP between the regular Conventions.

ARTICLE V. Executive Committee Business Meetings

Unless otherwise ordered by the Executive Committee, regularly scheduled monthly business meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held. Special business meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the Chair or by the written request of two-thirds of the Executive Committee. All regular and special business meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held between 6 and 11 PM on normal business days or between 10 AM and 9 PM on all other days. A majority of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum at all business meetings of the Executive Committee. All business meetings of the Executive Committee shall be open to the public.

ARTICLE VI. Conventions

A regular County Convention of the TCLP shall be held in each general election voting year. A roster of the delegates’ names and addresses shall be maintained by the Secretary for two years. Subsequent additions to this list shall not be permitted. Address changes and deletions as a result of events that would invalidate an affiliation are required to be performed.

The process for appointment of state convention delegates shall be as follows: The county convention delegates shall open nominations for state convention delegates, then close nominations, then collect ballots in which the names of any nominated people can be written. Approval voting shall be used to determine the top allocated number as delegates and the next allocated number as alternates, with ties being decided by lottery. This process can be suspended by a two-thirds vote.

ARTICLE VII. Parliamentary Authority

These bylaws constitute the official rules of the TCLP, and all other matters are governed by the rules of the TexasLP.

For any rules not specifically covered in these bylaws or the rules of TexasLP, the rules contained in the Ninth Edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the meetings of the TCLP and the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE VIII. Amendment of Bylaws

These bylaws may be amended, at a regular County Convention or at a special meeting of TCLP members, by a two-thirds vote of those members present. To amend at a special meeting shall require that the Secretary send a notice of such a meeting, with the text of the proposed amendment, to all TCLP members at least seven days before such a meeting.

FOOTNOTES:

CCA 311.016 says: “May” creates discretionary authority; “Shall” imposes a duty; “Must” creates a condition precedent; “Is entitled to” recognizes a right.