BYLAWS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO GREEN PARTY
(effective April 16, 2008)
Embracing our responsibility to our community, and in the hope of
creating an organization that will participate in making the City of
San Francisco a model of a just and sustainable society, we, the
activists of the San Francisco Green Party and the members of the San
Francisco Green Party as represented by the County Council, establish
these bylaws to govern the operations and functions of the San
Francisco Green Party.
Article 1: Declarations
1.1. This organization shall be known as the San Francisco Green Party
(SFGP).
1.2. The San Francisco Green Party is a component part of the Green
Party of California, and is ultimately responsible to the Green
registered voters of the City and County of San Francisco.
Article 2: Membership
2.1. All persons registered as Green Party voters, residing in the
City and County of San Francisco, shall be regarded as members of
the San Francisco Green Party. Non-citizens, non-residents of San
Francisco, and others otherwise unable to vote may be regarded as
members if they have been actively engaged in the work of the San
Francisco Green Party.
2.2. All members of the County Council, active members of Working
Groups, and active members of chartered Locals and Caucuses shall
be regarded as active members of the San Francisco Green
Party. Such persons must be currently and actively engaged in the
work of the San Francisco Green Party. Each Working Group, Local,
and Caucus shall maintain a list, updated at least once every six
months, of its active members.
2.3. The current list of active members shall be maintained by the
County Council; and the list shall be reexamined and updated each
year, in January. Anyone no longer an active member shall be
removed from the list at that time. Any active member who attends
at least two General Meetings within a calendar year may, at the
discretion of the County Council, be listed as an active member
for the following year. The County Council, or any General
Meeting, may add anyone to the list of active members for the
year.
Article 3: County Council
3.1. The registered membership of the San Francisco Green Party shall
be represented by a County Council.
3.2. Members of the County Council of the San Francisco Green Party
shall be elected at large for two-year terms at each general
primary election, and shall take office at noon on the Tuesday
following the 30th day after their election,
3.3. Members of the County Council must be registered members of the
Green Party of California, and must live in the City & County of
San Francisco. If, by the time a new County Council is to take
office, no one has been elected or qualified to take office, or
if the entire Council is vacated during its term, a General
Meeting may elect at least one member to the County Council. The
State Coordinating Committee must be notified immediately if such
an action takes place.
3.4. A member will be automatically removed from the Council in the
event that the member:
3.4.1. Moves out of the county; or
3.4.2. Registers with another political party or Decline to State; or
3.4.3. Is absent from at least three out of any six consecutive
regularly scheduled County Council meetings, without being
excused by the CC. Absences may be excused by the CC (business
decision) in advance of a scheduled absence or at the next CC
meeting following an absence.
3.5. The number of members to be elected to the County Council shall
be the greater of: 1) The number seven, or 2) The integer nearest
the resulting quotient obtained by dividing 100 times the number
of Green Party registered voters on the 135th day prior to the
next direct primary election in the City and County of San
Francisco by the number of Green Party registered voters in the
state on that date.
3.6. The SFGP may, if both the County Council and a General Meeting
approve, fix a different number of County Council members to be
elected for the following term. The SFGP must notify the State
Coordinating Committee of the Green Party of California, which
must then in turn notify the Secretary of State by the 135th day
preceding the general primary election.
3.7. New members of the County Council may be appointed to fill
vacancies. The Council shall nominate, and with the consent of a
General Meeting (business decision), appoint new members to the Council.
3.8. Members of the San Francisco Green Party who hold elected office
in local, state, or federal government shall be regarded as ex officio
members of the County Council. Ex officio members may participate in
all CC decisions, but are not obligated to attend meetings or counted
when determining whether a quorum is present.
3.9. The County Council will be responsible for the general
administration of the San Francisco Green Party. The duties and
powers of the County Council are:
3.9.1. To propose the agenda and choose Facilitators for General
Meetings;
3.9.2. To see to it that minutes of General Meetings are kept, and
that the records of the San Francisco Green Party are
maintained;
3.9.3. To set dates for General Meeting sessions, and to take steps to
see that the membership is informed of those dates;
3.9.4. To make recommendations and proposals to General Meetings;
3.9.5. To ask for and receive reports and recommendations from the
Working Groups;
3.9.6. To coordinate the efforts of the various Working Groups;
3.9.7. To act as a conduit for information between Working Groups, and
to make recommendations to Working Groups, as necessary;
3.9.8. To set up new Working Groups, and to dissolve Working Groups
that are not meeting or functioning;
3.9.9. To make every reasonable effort to see to it that decisions of
General Meetings are faithfully carried out;
3.9.10. To make such decisions as are normally reserved to a General
Meeting, but cannot be delayed until the next possible General
Meeting session (such decisions may be subject to revision or
rejection at the next General Meeting);
3.9.11. To develop strategy and implement policy for the San Francisco
Green Party;
3.9.12. To be ultimately responsible for seeing that the legal and
fiscal responsibilities of the San Francisco Green Party are
met;
3.9.13. To see to it that any necessary action which does not fall
within the duties of any particular Working Group is carried
out;
3.9.14. To speak for, or to authorize individuals to speak for the San
Francisco Green Party, within the general parameters, of
established SFGP policy, the State Platform, or recognized
green values;
3.9.15. To carry out any duties required of it by the Green Party of
California; and,
3.9.16. To make any other decisions which, within reason and without
abusing either the spirit or letter of these bylaws, help to
carry out the powers and duties of the County Council, any
Working Group, or the General Meeting, as stated here and
elsewhere in these bylaws.
3.10. The County Council shall use the consensus process for
decision-making. The Council may, however, establish its own
rules of procedure. All County Council meetings shall be open to
any member of the San Francisco Green Party, who may participate
in discussion and the consensus process; but only members of the
Council may vote, unless the Council chooses otherwise.
3.11. A quorum of the County Council shall consist of 50% of the
current members of the Council, rounded up to the nearest whole
number.
3.12. The County Council may delegate any of its duties and powers to
committees. These committees may contain non-council members and
may act in all other respects as if they were Working Groups of
the San Francisco Green Party; but they shall remain responsible
to the County Council.
Article 4: Working Groups
4.1. The San Francisco Green Party is both a political party and a
grass roots political activist Organization. The work of the
activist members of the San Francisco Green Party is organized
through Working Groups. Working Groups are voluntary associations
of SFGP activists carrying out that aspect of the work of the
SFGP to which they are dedicated or interested. The Working
Groups, along with the membership of the County Council, comprise
the San Francisco Green Party, as it exists as an activist
organization.
4.2. Working Groups may be established by either the County Council or
by a General Meeting/Plenary. The purpose of the Working Group,
its duties, responsibilities, and delegated powers (if any),
should be clearly stated at the time of its formation. The
establishing body may name a coordinator for the Group. An
individual shall be designated to serve as a liaison to the
County Council.
4.3. Working Groups may be executive or deliberative, or both,
depending on the nature of their work. Decisionmaking within
Working Groups shall be by consensus. WGs may establish their own
rules of procedure, or may use an informal decision-making
process, according to the specific needs of the Group.
4.4. The County Council will be responsible for keeping track of which
Groups are active, and which are not. Working Groups will be
responsible for keeping a list of ongoing, active members and
supplying the County Council with that list, as well as with
meeting dates and times.
4.5. Working Groups are required to remain active, if their work is
ongoing, or they will be dissolved. The County Council has
discretion to dissolve inactive Groups, or to merely suspend
them, if the Group's work is periodic, Working Groups are not to
be maintained if interest in their work has failed, of if their
functions are obsolete.
4.6. Active Working Groups may be dissolved with the consent of both
the County Council and the General Meeting/Plenary, or a Working
Group may dissolve itself.
4.7. Working Groups may establish and dissolve committees to which
they may assign or delegate specific tasks.
4.8. No Working Group may make any financial commitment on behalf of
the San Francisco Green Party without the prior consent of the
County Council, unless financial powers have been specifically
delegated to it, or unless specific arrangements have been made
for the Group's independent financial responsibility.
4.9. No Working Group may make any endorsement, or claim to speak on
behalf of the San Francisco Green Party, without prior approval
or delegation by the appropriate body.
Article 5: Locals and Caucuses
5.1. Locals are groups of Green Party members based in a particular
San Francisco neighborhood, and focused on issues concerning
that neighborhood. Caucuses are groups of Green Party members
who share a common identity (e.g., gender, age, race, sexual
orientation, or culture). Locals and Caucuses are permitted to
restrict their membership to Green Party members meeting these
qualifications. All locals and caucuses must reflect Green
values and be in accordance with the goals and purposes of the
San Francisco Green Party.
5.2. Any group of Green Party members may start a local or
caucus. Once they have at least five ongoing, active members,
they may apply to the County Council or General Membership to be
chartered. Chartering a local or caucus is a business
decision. Once chartered, another business decision by the CC or
GM is required to revoke a charter. Charters are valid for two
years, and automatically renewed unless the membership of the
local or caucus falls below five members.
5.3. Chartered locals and caucuses must use the consensus process for
decision making. A minimum quorum of 3 members is required to
make decisions. Locals and caucuses may write bylaws governing
their own internal processes, provided the bylaws and any
changes to them are approved (policy decision) at two
consecutive meetings of the local or caucus.
5.4. Chartered locals and caucuses may make endorsements and raise
funds for campaigns in accordance with FPPC regulations. The SF
Green Party will help inform locals and caucuses about these
regulations. If a local or caucus wants to make endorsements or
raise funds for any campaign not endorsed by the SF Green Party,
they must choose their own treasurer and follow all FPPC
regulations. If a local or caucus raises funds exclusively for
SF Green Party-endorsed campaigns, they may comply with FPPC
regulations by providing the SF Green Party treasurer with the
appropriate documents.
5.5. Chartered locals and caucuses may nominate one of their own
members to the County Council for the duration of the current
CC's term. The consent of the GM (business decision) is
required to appoint the nominee to the CC. If appointed, the
maximum size of the CC is increased by one for the duration of
the current CC's term per each chartered local or caucus. If
this position becomes vacant, or if the nominee is rejected by
the GM, or up to one month before a new CC takes office
following an election, the local or caucus may nominate another
(or the same) member. CC members representing locals and
caucuses are otherwise equivalent to CC members appointed to
fill vacancies, and all rules and bylaws regarding CC members
apply to them. No person may simultaneously hold more than one
seat on the County Council.
5.6. Chartered locals and caucuses cannot use the phrase "Green
Party" in their name, to avoid confusion with the county party.
They should use an alternate name such as "Greens" or "Green
Club."
Article 6: General Meeting/Plenary
6.1. The active membership shall participate in the decision-making of
the San Francisco Green Party through General Meetings.
6.2. General Meetings are gatherings of the activists to consult
together, make decisions, share knowledge and information,
communicate, and otherwise maintain the cohesiveness of the San
Francisco Green Party.
6.3. General Meetings shall be open to all members of the San
Francisco Green Party and interested observers; but only active
members may vote, or present concerns that require a vote.
6.4. General Meetings must be held at least once every three months,
but may be held more frequently. General Meeting dates and
locations may be set by the County Council, or a General Meeting
may set the date and time of the next General Meeting. As the
main deliberative body of the San Francisco Green Party, the
General Meeting shall:
6.4.1. Define general goals, policy, and priorities of the San
Francisco Green Party;
6.4.2. Make endorsements of candidates and ballot measures
6.4.3. Make statements in the name of the San Francisco Green Party
6.4.4. Make recommendations and proposals to the County Council;
6.4.5. Elect delegates to the General Assembly of the Green Party of
California;
6.4.6. Review the decisions and actions of any other body of the San
Francisco Green Party; and,
6.4.7. Discuss and deliberate on any fundamental issues of policy,
strategy, or structure that face the San Francisco Green Party.
6.5. A General Meeting may delegate any decision to a committee, a
Working Group, or to the County Council.
6.6. A quorum for a General Meeting shall consist of nine active
members, present at the time and location previously set for the
General Meeting to take place.
6.7. Any business decision, as defined in Article 8 of these bylaws,
may be made by consulting the membership by Group. Any proposal
brought to and approved by every active Working and Neighborhood
Group, and by the County Council, shall be valid as if approved
by a General Meeting. Any Group (but not the County Council) may
decline to discuss or decide on the issue, and so delegate the
decision to the other Groups. This process may also be used to
circulate simple information, or proposals that will be made at a
future General Meeting.
Article 7: Consensus
7.1. All bodies of the San Francisco Green Party shall seek consensus
in all decision-making.
7.2. Any item or resolution presented to a body of the San Francisco
Green Party which has not chosen another process as provided for
under these bylaws, must be passed through the following formal
process of consensus:
7.2.1. Any item presented to the Meeting will be given adequate time,
within the judgment of the Facilitator and the limits of the
agenda, for discussion and consideration.
7.2.2. When satisfied that the proposal is sufficiently understood by
the membership, the Facilitator will ask for, and recognize
members to present, Concerns. Each Concern may be addressed by
further discussion and proposals to amend the item.
7.2.3. When, in the judgment of the Facilitator, Concerns have been
addressed as well as may be, the Facilitator shall call for
consensus by asking for unresolved Concerns.
7.2.4. If there are no unresolved Concerns, then the proposal has
passed; but if unresolved Concerns remain, then the Facilitator
shall ask if the member presenting the Concern will stand
aside. If the member is willing, then the proposal has passed;
and the Concern will be recorded verbatim in the journal of the
Meeting. If, however, the member is unwilling to stand aside,
then the Meeting shall proceed to vote on the proposal.
7.2.5. The total number of votes for and against the proposal, and the
number of abstentions, shall be recorded in the journal of the
Meeting; and at the request of any two members, the vote shall
be taken by secret ballot.
7.2.6. If the proposal is a policy-making decision, then 80% approval
of the members voting is required for the proposal to pass; if
the proposal is an endorsement of a candidate or ballot
measure, then 75% approval of the members voting is required
for the proposal to pass; but if the proposal is a business
item, then a 2/3 vote of the members voting will be sufficient
to pass the proposal.
7.2.7. If, however, the number of members abstaining is more than 25%
of the number of members voting yes and no, then the proposal
has not passed.
7.3. A policy item shall be defined as any proposal which sets
official San Francisco Green Party policy, establishes a process,
or amends bylaws. A business item shall be defined as any
proposal which executes a policy already established, establishes
or dissolves committees or Working Groups, chooses an established
process, makes statements or non-ballot endorsements that are in
accordance with established San Francisco Green Party positions,
or otherwise makes no fundamental changes in the structure or
positions of the San Francisco Green Party.
7.4. Only active members may present unresolved Concerns or vote on
proposals in any meeting of the San Francisco Green Party.
7.5. In-between-meeting online event-endorsements policy
7.5.1. If an event comes to an Active Green's attention in between
General Meetings which they think we would probably endorse,
(as it falls in line with Green values) and it requires action
before the next GM...
7.5.2. It shall be posted to the stafflist for comments and sent to
the CC. CC will take responsibility for calling anyone who
requests a call for event endorsements because they want to
know about any potential endorsement and can't be sure they'll
check their email in time. (Let CC know if you want to be
called).
7.5.3. If, after a minimum of 2 working days(48 hours), at least 5
active members have voiced approval and none have expressed
dissent, it is endorsed (hurray for efficiency)!
7.5.4. If there is dissent, the comment period is extended to 4
working days, during which a vote is taken and tabulated by the
person who suggested the endorsement. The event must have a
margin of support in accordance with our bylaws (note: only
stated abstentions count in the abstention ratio). If that
margin is acquired, the event is endorsed (hurray for cautious
expediency)!
Article 8: Elections
8.1. All internal elections for officers of the San Francisco Green
Party, delegates to the Green Party of California General
Assembly, and any other persons or options which are to be chosen
by election by General Assembly/Plenary, shall be governed by the
rules covered in this article.
8.2. In elections where more than one candidate or option is to be
chosen, a preferential voting system shall be used. The details
of the system to be used are set down in Appendix 1 of these
bylaws.
8.3. In elections where only one candidate or option is to be chosen,
the alternative vote system detailed in Appendix 1 of these
bylaws shall be used, unless there are fewer than three
candidates, in which case a simple majority vote will be used to
elect.
8.4. If, in any election, the number of candidates or options is less
than or equal to the number to be selected, then the Meeting may
choose to elect by consensus. If, in this case, there is any
objection to electing by consensus, then the election will
proceed by secret ballot. All members voting will be permitted to
cast ballots for any or all candidates; any candidate not
receiving a majority of all votes cast will not be elected.
8.5. Delegates to the General Assembly of the Green Party of
California are to be elected at a General Meeting preceding the
next General Assembly. The County Council may canvass the active
membership before the meeting, and may present a slate of
nominees to the meeting. At the General Meeting, nominations may
also be made; the General Meeting shall then proceed to elect the
delegation according to the procedures set down in this article.
8.5.1. The General Meeting may also delegate the election of delegates
or a portion of the delegation to a committee of the General
Meeting, to the County Council, or to a San Francisco Green
Party Working or Neighborhood Group.
8.5.2. The County Council may fill any vacancies which may arise
between the election of State General Assembly delegates and
the State General Assembly by appointing individuals to be
alternate delegates; it may also elect delegates if the General
Meeting failed to elect or provide for the election of
sufficient delegates.
8.5.2. If, at the General Assembly itself, an insufficient number of
delegates are present, then the delegates present may choose,
by consensus (no fallback vote, notwithstanding Article 7),
alternates from any members of the San Francisco Green Party
who are present. The quorum for this decision is 2 SFGP
delegates, at least 1 of whom must be a SF regional rep or
regional rep alternate. If quorum is not met, the CC may still
choose alternates (business decision).
8.5.3. Alternates may optionally be assigned to particular delegates
or prioritized for vacancies. Any delegate may assign all their
duties to an alternate. If a delegate has not checked in, an
alternate may perform the absent delegate's duties until the
delegate arrives. If there is disagreement about which
alternate has priority for a particular vacancy, the alternates
will choose among themselves through a random selection process
such as flipping a coin or drawing straws.
Article 9: Conflict Resolution
9.1. Rules Committee
9.1.1. The Rules Committee of the San Francisco Green Party shall:
9.1.1.1. Be the final arbiter of disputes involving interpretation of
the Bylaws,
9.1.1.2. Maintain in a manner accessible to active Greens the records
of bylaw amendments and archive of party policies, and
9.1.1.3. Serve as a working group to advise members on proposed bylaw
amendments and internal party policies.
9.1.2. Each new County Council will nominate, and with the consent of
a General Meeting (business decision), appoint three standing
members of a Rules Committee. Standing members will serve the
same terms as the County Council that nominated them.
Vacancies on the committee will be filled using the same
procedure.
9.1.3. At least one standing member shall not be a member of the
County Council. At least one standing member shall have legal
training or extensive legal experience.
9.1.4. Once appointed, the Rules Committee shall adopt its own bylaws
that allow for the participation of active Greens in
interpreting the SFGP bylaws.
9.1.5. The Rules Committee shall take jurisdiction of SFGP bylaws
disputes when referred by any active Green, any working group,
the general membership meeting or the County Council. Bylaws
interpretations are a business decision for the Rules
Committee. The Rules Committee may request reasonable funds
from the CC to keep secure records.
9.1.6. In the case of a bylaws interpretation, if two of the three
standing members disagree with an interpretation and elect to
do so, they may veto an interpretation consensed upon by the
full committee. This allows for the elected County Council and
the General Membership to have a check on stacked meetings.
9.1.7. After every successful Bylaws amendment, the Rules Committee
shall provide the CC with an updated copy of the Bylaws, for
public dissemination. The Rules Committee shall also maintain
a current archive of party policies, which the CC will make
available to the public.
9.1.8. Standing members shall coordinate the production and
promulgation of a committee report to the County Council and
General Membership documenting the issue(s) investigated,
fact-finding efforts and any findings and conclusions. This
report must be crafted with legal defensibility in mind. In
the event of a veto, the standing members shall solicit
minority reports from active Greens on their differences that
shall be included in the committee report.
9.1.9. In its roles of maintaining records and advising on proposed
bylaw amendments, the Rules Committee shall function as any
other working group.
9.2. Interpersonal Dispute Resolution Board
9.2.1. Each new County Council will nominate, and with the consent of
a General Meeting (business decision), appoint three standing
members to a Dispute Resolution Board. Standing members will
serve the same terms as the County Council that nominated them.
Vacancies on the committee will be filled using the same
procedure.
9.2.2. At least one member shall not be a member of the County
Council.
9.2.3. The Board shall facilitate conflict resolution for disputes
that originate at SFGP facilities, meetings and events only.
The Board shall work with stakeholders to identify and engage
forms of conflict resolution acceptable to all parties to a
dispute.
9.2.4. The Board is the first recourse of dispute resolution. If the
Board is unable to resolve the dispute, it can designate an ad
hoc committee of at least three Greens (one not a member of the
County Council) acceptable to all parties who are willing to
work to resolve the conflict or to an independent dispute
resolution service.
9.2.5. The Board shall report to the County Council any action it
takes in referring disputes for resolution.
9.2.6. The proceedings of the Dispute Resolution Board shall be
closed, unless all parties to a matter stipulate otherwise.
Internal records of dispute resolution shall remain closed
unless all parties agree to open them. Internal records shall
be deleted two years after the conclusion of dispute
resolution, unless they have been opened. Any County Council
oversight of The Board shall be held in closed session if any
party to the matter requests so.
9.2.7. The Board shall produce a report at the conclusion of dispute
resolution which shall include the substance of the initial
positions of each side in the dispute, allegations investigated
and whether substantiated, efforts made towards resolution and
recommended action. The County Council must affirm by a simple
majority any action forwarded by The Board and any member of
the County Council party to a dispute must be recused from the
affirmation vote. If affirmed, the report will be made
available to active Greens.
9.2.8. The Ten Key Values of the Green Party shall serve as standards
for dispute resolution. Transparency, objectivity, justice and
fairness shall be the goals. The only winner in dispute
resolution should be the Green Party.
Article 10: Finance
10.1. The Finance Committee of the San Francisco Green Party is a
standing committee of the County Council.
10.2. The Finance Committee is responsible, under the County Council,
for the sound management of the finances of the local. The
duties and responsibilities of the Finance Committee will
include financial planning, development and monitoring of the
budget, financial record keeping, day-to-day fiscal management,
and fundraising.
10.3. The Finance Committee is empowered to make decisions only within
the parameters set down in this article; the County Council
reserves the right to approve all business decisions made by the
Committee. The Finance Committee shall report to the County
Council every month. The Finance Committee is empowered to
propose specific rules and guidelines to implement the duties
and responsibilities set down in these bylaws, subject to the
approval of the County Council.
10.4. Meetings of the Finance Committee shall be open to all active
members.
10.5. The Finance Committee will consist of the Treasurer, at least
two permanent members, and any other active members of the San
Francisco Green Party who wish to participate. The County
Council shall appoint, for one-year terms, at least two
permanent members to the Finance Committee. The elected members
are responsible for attending Finance Committee meetings and
insuring that the work of the Committee continues.
10.6. The Treasurer of the San Francisco Green Party shall be chosen
by the County Council for a one-year term, but may be replaced
by the Council at any time. The Treasurer will be ex-officio a
member of the Finance Committee and may, but need not be, a
permanent member of the Finance Committee.
10.7. The Treasurer is responsible for seeing to it that the
day-to-day bills of the SFGP and any other duly budgeted and
authorized expenses of the SFGP are paid. The Treasurer is also
responsible for the timely reporting of all campaign-related
financial activities to the FPPC in accordance with FPPC
regulations. The Treasurer must maintain familiarity with the
guidelines and regulations of the FPPC, and for insure that the
San Francisco Green Party is in compliance with campaign reform
laws.
10.8. The Treasurer may, with the consent of the County Council,
appoint one or more Assistant Treasurers to help the Treasurer
carry out his or her duties.
10.9. All revenue and expenses of the San Francisco Green Party are to
be deposited and withdrawn from a single bank account or group
of linked accounts. The Treasurer, and at least one other member
of the Finance Committee, must be signers on the accounts.
10.10. No transaction may be made with SFGP funds without proper
documentation. All revenue, including cash donations, is to be
deposited in one of the SFGP bank accounts. No transactions may
be made with undeposited revenue; all expenses should be paid
from one of the SFGP bank accounts. However, the Finance
Committee may keep a reserve of petty cash no greater than
$50. Small expenses and reimbursements may be paid out of petty
cash provided that all transactions are recorded.
10.11. All checks for amounts greater than $250 shall require the
signatures of two members of the Finance Committee.
10.12. If a cash transaction is necessary, and the expense has been
budgeted, then an individual may pay the expense, to be
reimbursed later.
10.13. Any individual who spends personal funds on an expense which
has not been budgeted or specifically approved by the County
Council will not be reimbursed unless the unbudgeted expense
has received prior approval by the Finance Committee.
10.14. All potential fundraising projects must be reviewed by the
Finance Committee. The Finance Committee will evaluate all
fundraising projects based on their financial feasibility,
including startup costs and potential rate of return. Each
fundraising project must report monthly to the Finance
Committee, providing details of revenue and expense as well as
rate of return.
10.15. Fundraising projects which are losing money may be terminated
at the discretion of the Finance Committee.
Article 11: Miscellaneous Provisions
11.1. Only bodies formally empowered by the San Francisco Green Party,
or the Green Party of California, shall be recognized as having
any formal power within the structure of the Green Party.
11.2. The terms of office of the Treasurer, and any other officers
responsible to the County Council, will expire on the 30th day
after each new County Council takes office, notwithstanding the
date of their election.
11.3. Reasonable effort shall be made to hold all meetings of the San
Francisco Green Party in locations that are accessible to the
physically disabled.
Article 12: Amendment
12.1. Amendments to these bylaws must be passed by both the County
Council and by two consecutive General Meetings (or by one
General Meeting, if first passed through the plenary by Group as
outlined in Article 6).
Appendix 1: Elections (as of 1/l/97)
A1.1. Until such time as a specific form of preferential voting is
approved, all internal elections of the San Francisco Green
Party shall be by simple majority vote.
A1.2. In elections where more than two candidates or options are
contending, those candidates or options receiving the greatest
number of votes shall be elected.
A1.3. In elections where only one candidate or option is to be
selected, a majority of all of the votes cast will be required
to elect; if no candidate or option receives a majority, then a
run-off between the two with the highest number of votes shall
be held. The candidate or option receiving the highest number of
votes in the run-off shall be elected.
A1.4. A preferential voting system may be approved at any time by the
County Council, and shall then replace this appendix.