Co-opting for an Elected Role

From Freegle Wiki

This is a procedure that is being proposed by Structure to be adopted. It is subject to a national poll, however, so this is not in force at present. The national poll will be held presently.

January 31st 2012

Co-option for an Elected Role proposed Procedure

Up to 3 months after an election is held and candidate(s) appointed, we have a system of auto-promotion which can be used to replace a role holder who might leave in that period. http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Elected_Roles_Autopromotion

If that 3 month period has elapsed our current procedure is that an election will be held. Structure has discussed this and propose that we could adopt a system for co-option.. The proposed procedure would be as follows.

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If an elected member (currently Rep, Ombudsman or Returning Officer) leaves early from their term of office, the system of auto-promotion will come into effect. If that is not applicable or the timing of the vacancy falls beyond 3 months, the elected officials will be able to co-opt another person to fill the vacancy if they choose.

• The Reps will be able to co-opt a fellow Rep, and the Ombudsman and Returning Officer team (ORO team) will be able to co-opt an Ombudsman or Returning Officer.

• The co-option will be a majority recommendation from the Reps or ORO team respectively and will be for the period from appointment to the next set of elections for any elected post.

• The proposing team will inform the other team (Reps or ORO team) of their co-option recommendation to give them time for comments before recommending to Central.

• The co-option will be a recommendation to Central of the person, reasons and a date for appointment. Any objections should be sent confidentially to the team (Reps or ORO) proposing the co-option before the appointment date. The team will take into account any objections received before confirming a co-option.

• Any person co-opted into a normally elected position will stand down at the next election for that role, but they will be able to stand for that election or subsequent elections if they wish.

• The co-opted role holder will have equal status and work on the same basis as their fellow elected post holders.

• If co-option or auto-promotion hasn't taken place within 2 months of a vacancy happening an election will be held.

To implement this as a policy we would also need to amend the following documents:

1. Constitution - http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Constitution 7.7 If a vacancy arises mid term for a Rep, an election will be called of all Freegle Volunteers.

Suggested amendment: Add ‘, subject to the agreed procedures for auto-promotion and co-option.’

2. Reps Role and Remit http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Freegle_Reps_Role_and_Remit 3.4 If a vacancy arises mid term for a Rep, an election will be called of Freegle Volunteers.

Suggested amendment: Add ‘, 'unless any agreed procedures have been invoked for auto-promotion or co-option’.’.

3. ORO Team Roles and Remits http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/ORO_Team_Roles_and_Remits 3.4 If a vacancy arises during the term of office for an Ombudsman or Returning Officer, within 3 months of appointment, the next highest voted candidate should be offered the role, provided they gained at least 75% of the votes of the lowest successful candidate in the most recent election. If the vacancy arises after 3 months or the next highest voted person isn’t available, an election will be called. In the interim, with the agreement of Central, the other member of the pair may request that a willing volunteer act as a temporary stand-in. This volunteer is bound by this document, but their term of service terminates at the conclusion of the election unless they are the successful candidate.

Suggested amendment: Omit the willing volunteer part and change this section to ‘If a vacancy arises during the term of office for an Ombudsman or Returning Officer, an election will be called of Freegle Volunteers unless any agreed procedures have been invoked for auto-promotion or co-option.’