BY-LAWS: County Judges And Commissioners Association Of Texas

No. 1
This Association shall not endorse or recommend any candidate for political office, nor shall politics or political candidates be discussed on the floor of any of its meetings.

No. 2
No officer or member of this Association shall use the Association as a means for furthering any personal, political or other aspiration for himself or any other person, and the Association as a whole shall not take part in any movement which is not in keeping with the purposes of this Association.

No. 3
The President of the Association shall appoint any and all committees with the approval of the other State Officers at any time for the purpose of carrying out the objectives of the Association.

No. 4
The First Vice-President of this Association, with the advice and consent of the Executive Board, should direct all funds to be placed in a depository, including investments, for the purpose of carrying out the financial activities of this Association.

No. 5
The President of the Association shall be an Ex-Officio member of all committees appointed.

No. 6
The Executive Board may be reimbursed for any expense incurred in performing their duties while serving as a member, on behalf of the Association, provided that the Board approves such reimbursement.

No. 7
The President and Executive Board should prepare an annual budget immediately following the annual business meeting. A status report on the budget should be provided to the Executive Board quarterly.

No. 8
No amendment shall be offered to these By-Laws at any regular annual session unless same has been prepared and read on the floor of the Association at least one day prior to its being offered to the Association for its action.

No. 9
This Association shall purchase an Indemnity Bond for the First Vice-President. The Executive Board may purchase a General Liability Policy or other policies as deemed necessary.

No. 10
Any suggestion or proposition made at any meeting of this Association calling for the expenditure of money, shall be referred to and handled by a quorum of the Executive Board, together with the Officers of this Association in accordance with the budget.

CONSTITUTION: County Judges And Commissioners Association Of Texas

ARTICLE I -- NAME

The name of this Organization shall be THE COUNTY JUDGES AND COMMISSIONERS ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS.

ARTICLE II -- PURPOSE

Section 1. It shall be the purpose of this Association to create a greater interest in county government and to unite its members to promote better business methods in county government, and to foster the general welfare of county government throughout all counties in the State of Texas .

Section 2. This Association shall encourage active participation in governmental affairs, particularly that pertaining to county government, by all members of Commissioners Courts of Texas.

Section 3. This Association shall uphold the principles of good government in Texas.

Section 4. This Association shall sponsor and co-sponsor educational conferences, seminars and other programs for county officials and county employees to study information relative to county affairs; and assist those officials in need of Continuing Education credits, as required by law.

ARTICLE III -- MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Each County Judge and County Commissioner of Texas shall be eligible to membership in this Association, and each such member shall be eligible to vote in this Association on any question that may arise requiring a vote of its members.

Section 2. Former County Judges and County Commissioners shall be eligible for membership as associate members, without voting privileges. Annual dues may be set by the Executive Board for associate members.

Section 3. Only members who have paid their dues to this Association shall be entitled to vote or to serve any committee of this Association.

ARTICLE IV -- FEES AND DUES

Section 1. Each member of this Association shall be required to pay an annual fee, set by the Executive Board of this Association of which an amount shall be paid as an annual subscription to County Progress Magazine, the official monthly state publication, with the balance to be paid to the Association annually for the maintenance of this Association.

ARTICLE V -- OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of this Association shall consist of a President, First Vice-President, a Second Vice-President, and four (4) Directors, one (1) of which will be the Immediate Past President of this Association. Such officers and Directors shall constitute the Executive Board of this Association.

Each officer and Board member shall have been duly and constitutionally declared elected and/or appointed as herein provided.

Section 2. The Executive Board shall be the President, the First Vice-President, the Second Vice-President, the President of the North and East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, the President of the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, the President of the South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, and the Immediate Past President.

Section 3. The President of the North and East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, the President of the South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association and the President of the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association shall serve a term for one (1) year immediately following the annual conference of this Association. If a regional director assumes a position as a state association officer, the regional director shall be succeeded on the Executive Board by the next ranking officer of the regional association.

ARTICLE VI -- ELECTIONS

Section 1. It shall be the duty of the President of this Association on the first day of the regular session to announce a Nominating Committee who shall on the final day, in the closing hours of the business session of the Association, make a report of nominations for a President, First Vice-President, and Second Vice- President. The President will hear nominations, if any may be made, from the floor of the convention to fill any of the above-named officers.

Additionally, the President shall appoint a Conference City Committee and Resolution Committee, who shall on the final day, in the closing hours of the annual business session, report back to the General Assembly its respective recommendations.

Section 2. The Nominating, Conference, and Resolutions Committees for the Association shall consist of seven (7) members, a part of whom shall be County Judges and a part of whom shall be County Commissioners, chosen from different parts of the State of Texas, with no two (2) members of said Committee selected from any one (1) county or from adjoining counties.

Section 3. The vote will then be taken for each officer in the above-named order and selection of the next meeting place, with only active members of the Association who have paid their annual dues being allowed to vote, and with a requirement of a majority vote of the Association in attendance at said regular meeting for the election of each officer and the selection of the next meeting place.

Section 4. Any vacancies that occur for any reason in any office of this Association shall be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Board of this Association at a called meeting, held for such purposes, and four (4) members of said Board composing a quorum for the transaction of this or any other business.

ARTICLE VII -- QUALIFICATIONS OF OFFICERS

Section 1. To be eligible for election to office in this Association or appointment to serve on the Executive Board a person must be a member of a Commissioners Court in a county within the State of Texas.

Section 2. Officers who are not re-elected to their respective office of County Judge or County Commissioner shall vacate their office in this Association at such time as the results of the General Election is canvassed and becomes official.

Section 3. No officer or Director shall receive any compensation for any services rendered to this Association, save and except the possible payment of his actual expenses incurred in the performance of some duty in connection with this Association, and then authorized only by the President and First Vice-President of the Association, under the direction of its Executive Board.

Section 4. No person shall be elected to office in this Association who has not previously served as President of the North and East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, or the South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association. If no person who meets this qualification is available and willing to serve, a county judge or commissioner from the appropriate region shall be elected to maintain the rotation system. In October, 1991, the President of the Association shall be elected from the North and East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association; in October, 1992, the President of this Association shall be elected from the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association; in October, 1993, the President of this Association shall be elected from the South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association; and this rotation system shall continue thereafter. Incoming officers shall alternate between county judges and county commissioners.

ARTICLE VIII -- DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. It shall be the duty of the President to preside over all meetings of this Association, to preserve order, to conduct all meetings in an orderly and parliamentary manner, to be an Ex-Officio member of each committee appointed and to perform such other and further duties as may be requested of him by this Association.

Section 2. It shall be the duty of the First Vice- President to perform the duties of the President in his absence, or in his inability or failure to act, and to assist the President in the performance of his duties, when called upon by the President to do so. It shall be the duty of the First Vice-President to keep a correct record of all meetings of this Association and its Executive Board and to report same to the next meeting of the Association. It shall be the further duty of the First Vice-President to collect all dues and other monies for the Association; purchase and pay for all necessary stationery and postage and to pay for all other accounts legally contracted and authorized by the President of the Association, and the First Vice-President shall make a report to the Association on the last day of its annual conference, giving a strict accounting of all receipts and disbursements for the past year, together with a financial statement to be spread upon the minutes of the Association.

Section 3. It shall be the duty of the Second Vice-President to perform the duties of the President or First Vice-President in their absence or in their inability or failure to act and to assist the President in the performance of his duties, when called upon to do so.

Section 4. It shall be the duty of the Executive Board to have general supervision of all work and the finances of the Association and to serve in an advisory capacity to the other officers of the Association; it shall be their further duty to serve as members of the Legislative Committee hereinafter authorized, to assist in the preparation of any proposed Legislative program.

Section 5. It shall be the duty of the President of the Association to name a Legislative Committee, three (3) from each regional association, whose duties shall be to foster such legislative measures and programs as may be authorized and supported by the State Association.

Section 6. All officers of the State Association shall be Ex-Officio members of the Legislative Committee and the First Vice-President of this Association shall serve as Secretary to said Committee and keep a permanent correct record of all proceedings.

ARTICLE IX -- MEETINGS

This Association shall hold one (1) annual meeting at such place and time as may be selected by a majority vote of the Association, and such called meetings as may be made by the President of this Association, acting jointly with a majority of the Executive Board. The time of the annual meeting shall be fixed by the Executive Board and the President of the Association.

ARTICLE X -- PARLIAMENTARY RULES

In the absence of rules, set forth in this Constitution or the By-Laws of this Association, the proceedings in the Association shall be conducted in accordance with established parliamentary procedure.

ARTICLE XI -- AMENDMENTS

Section 1. This Constitution may be amended at any regular annual business session of the Association by a two-thirds (2/3) majority vote of the members present, provided due notice has been given, as set forth in Section 2, under this Article.

Section 2. No amendment to this Constitution shall be made unless said amendment has been duly presented and read on the floor at a regular annual meeting, and either read in full or called up and explained on the second day of the Association meeting, and finally offered for adoption on the last day of the meeting of the Association.

ARTICLE XII -- CONTINUING EDUCATION

Section 1. Provision. In accordance with Section 74.025 of the Government Code and Section 81.0025 of the Local Government Code, the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas shall provide ongoing programs for the continuing education of the county judges and county commissioners of the State of Texas.

Section 2. Direction and Implementation. The programs of continuing education shall be directed by the Executive Board of the Association as defined in Article V, Section 2 of this Constitution, and recommended at its discretion by an Association Education Committee. The programs shall be developed and implemented in association with the North and East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, the South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, and the Texas Association of Counties and co-sponsored by the V. G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, the Texas A&M University System, an accredited public institution of higher education, or other accredited public institution of higher education.

Section 3. Commissioners Education Committee. A special committee of seven (7) members composed of one (1) county commissioner from this Association appointed by the Association President and who shall serve as the committee chairman, two (2) county commissioners appointed by the President of the North and East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, two (2) county commissioners appointed by the President of the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association and (2) county commissioners appointed by the President of the South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, shall be responsible for the continuing education for county commissioners in accordance with Section 81.0025 of the Local Government Code.

The Commissioners Education Committee shall facilitate, at the direction of the Executive Board, the certification program of the county commissioners' sixteen (16) classroom hours of instruction in the duties of county commissioner, shall review submission of valid excuses by county commissioners for failure to attend the required hours within each twelve (12) month period, and shall make recommendations to the Executive Board of those county commissioners who should receive certification.

Section 4. Attendance. In order to meet certification standards of the Association, at least once in each twelve (12) month period, a county commissioner must successfully complete sixteen (16) approved classroom hours of instruction provided by this Association, the North and East County Judges and Commissioners Association, the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association and the South Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association, the Texas Association of Counties, or other approved organizations and co-sponsored by the V. G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, the Texas A&M University System, an accredited public institution of higher education, or other accredited public institution of higher education. Attendance at the course shall mean official registration and personal attendance at all sessions of the courses by the commissioners, as attested by official records maintained at the sessions. A county commissioner who completes more than sixteen (16) hours in a calendar year may carry forward not more than eight (8) hours to the next calendar year.

Section 5. Certification. Upon successful completion of at least sixteen (16) classroom hours of instruction in the duties of county commissioner, and certification by the Commissioners Education Committee, a county commissioner shall be issued a "Continuing Education Certificate" in such form as may be filed in the official records of the county to denote compliance by county commissioners with Section 81.0025 of the Local Government Code.