These rules are to be liberally construed to
maintain the dignity and order of the Legislature. When these rules
are silent on a point of order, the current edition of Robert's Rules
of Order shall control.
Any rule may be adopted, amended or rescinded by vote of a majority of all Legislators (i.e., 15), in accordance with the following procedure. Any proposed adoption, amendment or rescission of a rule shall be in writing, shall be communicated to all Legislators in writing, and thereafter shall be referred to the Agenda/Charter Committee for consideration before being considered by the Legislature. No proposed adoption, amendment or rescission of a rule shall be acted upon by the Legislature unless it shall have been reported upon favorably by the Agenda/Charter Committee or, after said Committee shall have had at least seven calendar days to consider such proposal, it is discharged from said Committee in accordance with § 545-17G. The procedure for adopting, amending or rescinding a rule shall not be subject to a motion to suspend the rules under § 545-32.
Except as otherwise set forth herein, any rules
may be suspended by a vote of two-thirds (2/3) of all Legislators
(i.e., 20).
All previous acts, rules or resolutions or parts
thereof inconsistent with these rules are hereby rescinded and repealed.
In the event one or more rules or subdivisions
of these rules are declared unlawful or unconstitutional, such declaration
shall not invalidate all of the rules, but only those specifically
declared unlawful or unconstitutional.
The Clerk shall have copies of these rules printed
and made available to Legislators, staff and the public.
[Added 9-8-2020 by Res. No. 256-2020[1]]
A caucus shall be defined as a group of Legislators who are
members or adherents of the same political party, or a group of Legislators
who are adherents of the same issue. There shall be an established
caucus for each legally constituted political party represented by
a County Legislator who is an enrolled member of said political party.
Only the President of the Legislature shall have the power to establish
additional caucuses beyond those set forth herein. A group of Legislators
wishing to establish a caucus other than one for a legally constituted
political party shall file notice with the President of the Legislature.
Legislators shall be members of the legally constituted political
party caucus corresponding to their political party enrollment unless
notice to the contrary is filed with the President of the Legislature.
Legislators shall only be entitled to membership in one established
caucus. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit Legislators
from forming or participating in an unestablished caucus.
[Added 9-8-2020 by Res. No. 256-2020]
The enrolled Legislators of the two caucuses with the greatest
number of Legislators seated in the Legislature shall elect a leader
of their respective caucus. The leader of the caucus whose membership
of the Legislature constitutes a majority of the Legislature shall
be known as the Majority Leader. The leader of the other caucus shall
be known as the Minority Leader. Those leaders shall serve at the
pleasure of their respective caucuses.
[Added 5-15-1990 by Res. No. 296-1990; amended 9-8-2020 by Res. No. 256-2020]
The Legislature shall appropriate annually an amount for the operation of the staff offices for each caucus established in accordance with § 545-36. Such appropriations shall be based on each caucus' percentage representation in the legislative body and shall be reallocated anytime a caucus' percentage representation changes. Should such a change occur during the course of the fiscal year, the reallocation shall be made on a prorated basis.
