Wilkinson County, Georgia

Bylaws of the Wilkinson County Recreation Board

Adopted June 12, 2002

 ARTICLE I

 The name of the organization is the  “Wilkinson County Recreation Board.”

 ARTICLE II

 The Wilkinson County Recreation Board, hereinafter referred to as the “Recreation Board,” was created by a resolution of the Board of Commissioners of Wilkinson County and is established for the purpose of implementing and operating a supervised recreation program for citizens of Wilkinson County, overseeing in general the management of the affairs and business of the Recreation Board and exercising the powers granted to the Recreation Board by this Act.

 ARTICLE III MEMBERSHIP

A.                 Power and Authority.  Members of the Recreation Board shall have and may exercise all of the powers, as are provided for in the resolution of the Board of Commissioners dated April 6, 1993, which established the Recreation Board and as are lawful under the laws of the State of Georgia.

B.                 Number, Appointment, and Tenure.  The Members of the Recreation Board shall consist of nine members, who shall be appointed and serve such term of office according to the method described in Section Two (2) of the aforesaid resolutions of the Commissioners.

C.                 Resignation A member of the Recreation Board may resign his or her position by written notice delivered to the Chairman of the Wilkinson County Board of Commissioners. Resignations shall be effective upon acceptance by the Chairman or upon its terms, whichever is later.

D.                 Vacancies. If a vacancy on the Board occurs due to death, resignation, removal from office, completion of term, or for any other reason, that vacancy shall be filled according to the method described in Section 2 and 3 of the Resolution.

 E.                  Compensation.  The members of the Recreation Board shall serve without compensation.

ARTICLE IV OFFICERS

 A.                 Titles. The officers of the Recreation Board shall consist of a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary and a Treasurer.

B.                 Eligibility, Election, and Term of Office The Recreation Board must fill the positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer from among its own membership.  The officers of the Recreation Board shall be elected by a majority vote of all members of the Recreation Board and such officers shall hold office for a term of one  (1) year.  Members may serve two consecutive terms in any one office.

C.                 President.  The president shall hold only one office on the Recreation Board.  The President shall, in general, oversee all of the business affairs of the Recreation Board. He or she shall preside at all meetings of the Recreation Board, advise the other members on matters of general policy, and ensure that this Board is represented at hearings, conferences and other events as he or she deems necessary for the conduct of Board business.  In order to be eligible for election as President, members shall have served on the Recreation Board for one year and shall not be President on any active recreation league in Wilkinson County. The one-year prior service requirement shall not apply to the initial President.  If the Vice-President takes office as President without having served one year on the Board, the one-year requirement shall be waived.

D.                 Vice-President.  The Vice-President shall hold only one office on the Board.  The Vice-President shall, in the absence of the President or in the event of his or her inability to act, perform the duties of the President, and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the President.  He or she shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the President of the Board. 

E.                  Secretary. The secretary shall maintain an official record of all meetings of the Recreation Board including Committee meetings and perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President of the Recreation Board.

F.                  Treasurer.  The Treasurer shall maintain all financial records of the Board, establish and maintain such bank accounts as the Board deems necessary, shall provide financial reports to the Board on a monthly basis, shall provide an appropriate bond as required by the Board or as required by law.

ARTICLE V BOARD MEETINGS

A.                 Regular Meetings.  The Board shall conduct regular monthly meetings on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30 P.M. The Board meetings shall be held in the office of the Wilkinson County Board of Commissioners.

B.                 Special Meetings Special meetings may be held at any time upon call of the President or any five (5) other members of the Board upon 24-hour notification being given to the Recreation Board members and the public.

C.                 Work Sessions/Committee Meetings.  The Board shall have the right to convene such work sessions and/or committee meetings as are necessary in the judgment of the Committee Chairman or at the request of the President. Documentation of each meeting and/or work session must be made to the Secretary/Treasurer of the Board.

D.                 Meeting Notices.  Notices and records of all meetings of the Board and its committees shall be made and kept as required by the Open Meetings Law for the state of Georgia, Title 50, Article 14.

E.                  Attendance:  Attendance at all meetings of the Board is expected.  Any Board member who is absent from three (3) consecutive regular meetings shall be referred to the Wilkinson County Board of Commissioners for inquiry into the reasons for such absences. 

ARTICLE VI OPEN MEETINGS

 All meetings of the Board shall be open to the public. Notice of Special Meetings to be held shall be posted at the Board's meeting place, distributed to the news media at least 24 hours prior to the commencement of said meetings, and at such other time and place as provided by the Open Meetings Act.

 ARTICLE VII CONDUCT OF BUSINESS

A.                 Robert’s Rules of Order.  The latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern board meetings to the extent that they are not inconsistent with law or these by-laws.

B.                 Voting, Motions, Recording. Motions must be seconded.  A Board member need not have voted on the prevailing side in order to move for reconsideration.  Upon request of any member, the Secretary shall repeat the motion and the name of the moving party immediately preceding vote by the Board members. Unless a member indicates to the Secretary a vote contrary to the prevailing side, all motions shall be considered to be  (and record as) passed or failed by a unanimous vote.  No member of the Board may vote by Proxy or in absentia.

C.                 Quorum and Majority Vote.  Five (5) members of the Board shall be necessary to constitute a quorum.  For all matters except elections, removals, amendments to the by-laws, and changes in fees, a majority vote of those members present at a meeting shall be required to adopt or reject a motion.

D.                 Written Complaints.  The President shall receive all complaints related to the Recreation Board.  Upon receipt of the complaint, the President shall give written acknowledgement of receipt of the complaint to the Complainant and the Board. If the complaint references a particular recreation program, the President shall first refer the matter to the appropriate recreation league Board. Unless warranted by circumstances, the complaint shall be addressed at the next regular meeting of the Recreation Board.

ARTICLE VIII

 A.                 Fiscal Year.  The fiscal year for the Board shall be from October 1, to September 30 of the following year, to coincide with the fiscal year of the budget for the Wilkinson County Commission.

 B.                 Depositories of Board Funds All monies received by the Board shall be deposited in the County treasury. 

 C.                 Budget. The annual budget and annual program of activities for each fiscal year shall be approved by the members of the Board for submission to the County governing authority.

 D.                 Monthly Financial Record.  The President and Treasurer shall prepare or cause to be prepared and shall present to the Board at a regular meet each month financial reports showing:  (1) a comparison of actual revenues and expenditures for operating, capital and debt service and (2) such other financial reports as the Board may request.

 E.                  Expenditures.  The Treasurer shall approve all expenditures in accordance with the Board approved Budget.  In the absence of the Treasurer, any other officer may approve expenditures. 

F.                  Accounting System.  The Treasurer shall install and maintain an accounting system and also develop and maintain an inventory of the Board's of expandable and non-expendable property.

G.                 Audit.            All books, accounts, funding and property held or utilities by the Board shall be subject to audit on a regular, annual basis by the county governing authority.

ARTICLE IX  MISCELLANEOUS

 A.                 Bonds.  All members or officers who have access to or responsibility for funds received and/or administered by the Board shall be bonded with proper security given to perform the faithful discharge of his/her duties.

 ARTICLE X AMENDMENTS