COG Voting Procedures


Special Rules of Order for Unit Votes
May 28, 2019

 

Authorization for Unit Votes

COG Articles of Agreement, Article V, Quorum & Voting, Section A:

 

“Voting: Each municipality shall have one ‘unit vote.’ However, to facilitate conducting ordinary business at the General Forum, the chair may use a majority vote of those present as a procedure to be followed in the passage of motions and resolutions. Any member of the General Forum shall have the right to call for a “unit vote” on any issue voted upon at any time. A call for a “unit vote” shall void any action on the motion or resolution ruled upon by the majority vote procedure.”


These special rules of order shall be the authority for all unit votes of the General Forum of the Centre Region COG.

Type I  |  Unit Votes That Are Required by the COG Articles of Agreement

    1. These votes are scheduled and called by the Chair as required by the General Forum. Examples of actions requiring unanimous votes of all the COG municipalities include: borrowing, real estate transactions, and proposals to revise the Articles of Agreement. The General Forum agenda will reflect that the vote will be a unit vote and also identify the municipalities that are eligible to vote on the question under consideration.
    2. A quorum of each governing body must be present in order for the unit to vote. If a unanimous decision is required, the vote will be postponed when one or more participating municipalities lack a quorum.
    3. The public may listen to the municipal unit discussions but all public comment is to be addressed to the entire General Forum prior to recessing for the vote.
    4. No minutes are taken and individual votes are not recorded. If a request for an individual vote record is made by a General Forum member prior to recessing for the unit vote, then municipalities will provide individual votes to the recording secretary for inclusion in meeting minutes.
    5. Municipalities or members of a municipal governing body may not abstain unless they have a conflict of interest.
    6. For an action to be approved, the Articles of Agreement require a unanimous vote of all the municipalities. If one or more of the participating municipalities cannot vote due to lack of quorum, the results of the vote will be considered to be void.

Type II |  Unit Votes From The Floor That Are Not Required by the COG Articles of Agreement
  1. These votes may be called for any reason by a member of the General Forum. Under the COG Articles of Agreement, a unit vote can be called after a floor vote has been taken and the unit vote becomes the official vote.
  2. After a unit vote is requested, the Chair will recess the General Forum meeting so that the municipal governing bodies can discuss the matter.
  3. A quorum of the governing body is not required. Members who are present will represent the unit.
  4. The public may listen to the unit discussions but all public comment is addressed to the entire forum prior recessing for the vote.
  5. No minutes are taken and individual votes are not recorded. Only the unit vote is reported.
  6. Municipalities or members of a municipal governing body may not abstain unless they have a conflict of interest.
  7. The result is determined by the majority of voting municipalities units. It the event of a tie vote the motion fails. Following the vote, the Chair re-convenes the General Forum meeting.

Type III   |  Unit Votes Requiring Adoption of a Municipal Ordinances Or Plans
  1. Although they are generally called unit votes, these votes are not true unit votes, because they require specific action by each individual municipality separate from the action of the General Forum. Examples of required municipal actions include: municipal loan guarantees, adoption of municipal ordinances and changes to the Act 537 Sewage Facilities Plan or the Regional Growth Boundary.
  2. When these votes occur, the General Forum meeting and municipal meetings are advertised in accordance with the Pennsylvania Sunshine Act. The General Forum meeting goes into recess and each municipality convenes an advertised municipal meeting.
  3. A quorum of the governing body must be present in order to take action. If a unit does not have a quorum, other units will continue with their scheduled meetings and vote on their ordinance or resolution. The unit that does not have a quorum will then take action on the issue at a subsequent meeting of that municipality.
  4. These votes require a public hearing which is conducted as part of the General Forum meeting and will be held prior to the convening of individual municipal meetings.
  5. Unit meetings are advertised meetings of the municipality and are separate from the General Forum meeting. Minutes of the meeting are kept and voting is recorded in accordance with the policies of each municipal governing body.
  6. The public may listen to the discussion during individual municipal meetings and comment in accordance with the policies of each municipal governing body.
  7. COG action is not complete until all municipalities have voted, either during the recess or at a subsequent municipal meeting.


 

Because municipal participation in COG programs is optional, municipalities that do not take part in certain programs should abstain from voting during ordinary business matters to which their municipality does not participate.