BYLAWS OF THE CITY OF
WESTFIELD DEMOCRATIC CITY COMMITTEE

ARTICLE I – NAME

1-1 This organization shall be known as the Westfield Democratic City Committee.

ARTICLE II – PURPOSE

2-1 This committee is organized and constituted under authority of and in accordance with the provisions of the General Laws of the Commonwealth, and shall have as its purposes the following: to foster and advance the ideals and aims of the Democratic Party; to work and organize for the success of the Democratic candidates of the District, County, State and Nation; to do all things necessary and incidental to the building and strengthening of the Democratic Party in Massachusetts and within the City of Westfield.

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP

3-1 The Westfield Democratic City Committee shall consist of all duly elected members of the Westfield Democratic Ward Committees.
3-2 The officers of the Westfield Democratic City Committee shall consist of a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Affirmative Action and Outreach Advisor, and other officers as it may decide to elect. These officers shall be elected at the committee organizational meeting and shall serve for a term of two (2) years, at the end of which new elections for officers will be held.
3-3 There shall be an executive committee consisting of the duly elected Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer of the Westfield Democratic City Committee and the duly elected Chairpersons of the Westfield Democratic Ward Committees. The executive committee shall not exceed ten (10) members.
3-4 The Westfield Democratic City Committee, in order to defray its expenses and to further its objectives, may establish annual dues.
3-5 The amount of dues will be established by a 2/3 vote of members attending the first meeting in March of each year. The amount established may not be changed again until the following year during the first meeting in March.
3-6 The inability of a member to comply with the annual dues shall not limit his/her participation in the activity of the Westfield Democratic City Committee.

ARTICLE IV – WARD COMMITTEES

4-1 The Westfield Democratic Ward Committee shall consist of not more than thirty-five (35) and no less than three (3) registered Democrats in each of the city’s six (6) wards who shall have been elected at the Presidential Primary for a period of four (4) with those elected to membership by members of said committee, in conformance with the provisions of the law.
4-2 The Committee, following the election of its members, shall meet and organize, choose a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. The Committee may add to its elected members provided it does not exceed the total allowed by law. The committee Chairperson must nominate the new members. The new member must be present to be elected to the committee. New members may also be elected to each ward committee at any Westfield Democratic City Committee meeting. The Secretary of the City Committee must notify, in writing, the appropriate ward Committee Chairperson of any new member elected to that ward at a City Committee meeting.

ARTICLE V – OFFICERS

5-1 This article shall pertain to officers of the Westfield Democratic City Committee and the Westfield Democratic Ward Committees, except the office of affirmative action ad outreach advisor. His officer shall only be a member of the City Committee.
5-2 CHAIRPERSON – The Chairperson shall, besides duties required by law, preside at all meetings of the committee and shall have general charge and supervision of all committee activities. He/she shall have power to appoint all standing committees and other special committees as are created from time to time. He/she shall have the power to call special meetings of the city/ward committee and all regular meetings at such time or times as may seem to him/her to be advisable, subject only to the vote of the committee in fixing the number of regular meetings held during the year.
5-3 VICE CHAIRPERSON – The Vice Chairperson shall preside at all meetings of the city/ward committee in the absence of the Chairperson. He/she shall perform all duties and have the powers of the Chairperson in his/her absence.

5-4 SECRETARY – The Secretary shall keep a record of all proceedings of the city/ward committee and shall issue notice by mail to each member of each meeting of the committee at least seven (7) days before the date of the meeting. The Secretary of the city committee and each ward committee shall within ten (10) days after the organization of the committee, file with the Secretary of the Commonwealth, the Secretary of the Democratic State Committee, the Office of Campaign and Political Finance and the City Clerk, a list of the officers and members of the Committee; and immediately file with the same official a statement of the changes in the organization or membership of the Committee thereafter.
5-5 TREASURER – The Treasurer shall have the custody of all funds belonging to the Committee and shall pay all orders subject to the approval of the Chairperson and shall procure and file vouchers for all such payments. No expenditures of funds of the Committee shall be made by the Treasure outside the regular activities or expense thereof except upon the approval of the majority of the Committee at a special or regular meeting. He/she shall submit a report of the financial conditions and transactions of the Committee at all regular meeting. A detailed report shall be provided annually. Additionally, the Treasurer will file reports with the appropriate state and local offices regarding fundraising.
5-6 AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND OUTREACH ADVISOR – The Affirmative Action and Outreach Advisor shall be responsible for developing strategies and activities to expand participation in the Committee of the Party’s Affirmative action target groups.

ARTICLE VI – MEETINGS

6-1 The Westfield Democratic City Committee shall have regular meetings of the Committee four (4) times in a non-election year and six (6) times in election years, at least once each quarter. The City Committee Chairperson may call a meeting any time.
6-2 The Westfield Democratic Ward Committees shall meet at the call of the Chairperson of said committee.

ARTICLE VII – QUORUM

7-1.1 Twelve (12) members shall make up a quorum for transaction of business at a City Committee meeting. Three (3) members shall make up a quorum for transaction of business at a Ward Committee meeting.

ARTICLE VIII – CALLING A MEETING WITHOUT CONSENT OF CHAIRPERSON

8-1 In case of refusal by the Chairperson of the Committee to call a meeting of the Committee, a majority of the executive committee may, in writing order the Secretary of said committee to call a meeting of the Committee.
8-2 Said executive committee shall have the power to act upon all matters concerning the Committee arising between the meetings of said Committee
8-3 Seven (7) members of the Committee can request a meeting by a petition in writing to the Secretary, and the Secretary shall call such a meeting within two (2) weeks.

ARTICLE IX – BY LAWS COMMITTEE

9-1 The Chairperson of the Westfield Democratic City Committee shall appoint the By Laws Committee from the duly elected members of the City Committee. The Chairperson shall designate the Chairperson of the By Laws Committee.

ARTICLE X – CHANGES IN THE BY LAWS

10-1 These By Laws may be amended or repealed at any regularly called meeting of the elected members of the Westfield Democratic City Committee, provided such proposed change is in writing and signed by the elected member proposing it and is in the hands of the Chairperson before the call of the next meeting at which such proposal is to be acted upon. The proposed by law change shall be sent to all members with the announcement of the meeting.
10-2 Such proposed changes in the By Laws shall be referred forthwith by the Chairperson to the By Law Committee which shall make a report with its recommendations at the same meeting, if possible, but no later than the following meeting. A majority of the elected members present and voting shall be necessary to overturn the report of the By Law Committee. By Law change proposals that contradict the provisions of the Massachusetts Democratic State Party Charter cannot be considered.
10-3 Until amended or repealed by the elected members, theses By Laws shall continue in effect from year too year and no formal motion shall be necessary at any meeting of the City Committee in order that they continue in force.

ARTICLE XI – ORDER OF BUSINESS

11-1 The order of business of meetings shall be as follows:
1. Calling the roll of officers.
2. Reading the minutes of the previous meeting.
3. Reports of officers and committees.
4. Election of new members.
5. Reading of communications addressed to the committee.
6. Unfinished business.
7. New business.
8. Adjournment.

The order of business may be waived by two-thirds (2/3) vote of the elected members present and voting.

ARTICLE XII – REMOVAL OF LOCAL MEMBERS

12-1 Members and officers pledge themselves by accepting office to perform diligently and honorably their duties or resign. Members of Ward Committees may be removed by procedures guaranteeing adequate notice and due process and by a majority vote of the City Committee for:

a. Failure to attend at least half of the regularly scheduled committee meetings during any calendar year.
b. Public support or financial contributions to an opponent of a nominee of the Democratic Party which nominee publicly supports the platform of the Democratic Party as adopted at the most recent state and national Democratic convention.
c. Unauthorized use of the Party name and resources.
d. Conviction after appeals are exhausted of a criminal offense other than a misdemeanor.

12-2 A member must be given an opportunity to resign before notice of the hearing on the question of removal is given to the membership of the committee.
12-3 A member removed under this section shall have thirty (30) days to appeal to the Judicial Council, and the vacancy may not be filled in such case until the final decision of the Judicial Court is made.