Commission Handbook2017 mid pages

Home

19City of Roseville y Commissioner’s Handbook To Debate or Not to Debate The basic rule of motions is that they are subject to discussion and debate. Accord- ingly, basic motions, motions to amend, and substitute motions are all eligible, each in their turn, for full discussion before and by the body. The debate can continue as long as members of the body wish to discuss an item, subject to the decision of the chair that it is time to move on and take action. There are exceptions to the general rule of free and open debate on motions. The exceptions all apply when there is a desire of the body to move on. The following motions are not debatable (that is, when the following motions are made and seconded, the chair must immediately call for a vote of the body without debate on the motion): A motion to adjourn. This motion, if passed, requires the body to immediately adjourn to its next regularly scheduled meeting. This motion requires a simple majority vote. A motion to recess. This motion, if passed, requires the body to immediately take a recess. Normally, the chair deter- mines the length of the recess, which may range from a few minutes to an hour. It requires a simple majority vote. A motion to fix the time to adjourn. This motion, if passed, requires the body to adjourn the meeting at the specific time set in the motion. For example, the motion might be: “I move we adjourn this meeting at midnight.” It requires a simple majority vote. A motion to table. This motion, if passed, requires discussion of the agenda item to be halted and the agenda item to be placed on “hold.” The motion may contain a specific time in which the item can come back to the body: “I move we table this item until our regular meeting in October.” Or the motion may contain no specific time for the return of the item, in which case a motion to take the item off the ta- ble and bring it back to the body will have to be taken at a future meeting. A motion to table an item (or to bring it back to the body) requires a simple majority vote. A motion to limit debate. The most common form of this motion is to say: “I move the previous question” or “I move the question” or “I call for the question.” When a member of the body makes such a motion, the member is really saying: “I’ve had enough debate. Let’s get on with the vote.” When such a motion is made, the chair should ask for a second to the mo- tion, stop debate, and vote on the motion to limit debate. The motion to limit debate requires a two-thirds vote of the body. Note that a motion to limit debate could include a time limit. For example: “I move we limit debate on this agenda item to 15 minutes.” Even in this format, the motion to limit debate requires a two-thirds vote of the body. A similar motion is a motion to object to consideration of an item. This motion is not debatable, and if passed, precludes the body from even considering an item on the agenda. It also requires a two-thirds vote. Majority and Super-Majority Votes In a democracy, decisions are made with a simple majority vote. A tie vote means the motion fails. So in a seven-member body, a vote of 4-3 passes the motion. A vote of 3-3 with one abstention means the motion fails. If one member is absent and the vote is 3-3, the motion still fails. All motions require a simple majority, but there are a few exceptions. The excep- tions occur when the body is taking an action that effectively cuts off the ability of a minority of the body to take an action or discuss an item. These extraordinary motions require a two-thirds majority (a super-majority) to pass: Motion to limit debate. Whether a mem- ber says, “I move the previous question,” “I move the question,” “I call for the question” or “I move to limit debate,” it all amounts to an attempt to cut off the ability of the minority to discuss an item, and it requires a two-thirds vote to pass. Motion to close nominations. When choosing officers of the body, such as the chair, nominations are in order either from a nominating committee or from the floor of the body. A motion to close nominations effectively cuts off the right of the minority to nominate officers, and it requires a two-thirds vote to pass. Motion to object to the consideration of a question. Normally, such a motion is unnecessary, because the objectionable item can be tabled or defeated straight up. However, when members of a body do not even want an item on the agenda to be considered, then such a motion is in order. It is not debatable, and it requires a two-thirds vote to pass. Motion to suspend the rules. This mo- tion is debatable, but requires a two-thirds vote to pass. If the body has its own rules of order, conduct or procedure, this mo- tion allows the body to suspend the rules for a particular purpose. For example, the body (a private club) might have a rule prohibiting the attendance at meetings by non-club members. A motion to suspend the rules would be in order to allow a non- club member to attend a meeting of the club on a particular date or on a particular agenda item. The Motion to Reconsider There is a special and unique motion that requires a bit of explanation all by itself: the motion to reconsider. A tenet of parliamentary procedure is finality. After vigorous discussion, debate and a vote, there must be some closure to the issue. And so, after a vote is taken, the matter is deemed closed, subject only to reopening if a proper motion to reconsider is made. A motion to reconsider requires a majority vote to pass, but there are two special rules that apply only to the motion to reconsider. First is the matter of timing. A motion to reconsider must be made at the meeting where the item was first voted upon or at the very next meeting of the body. A mo- tion to reconsider made at a later time is untimely. (The body, however, can always vote to suspend the rules and, by a two- thirds majority, allow a motion to recon- sider to be made at another time.) Second, a motion to reconsider may be made only by certain members of the body. Accordingly, a motion to reconsider may be made only by a member who voted in the majority on the original mo- tion. If such a member has a change of heart, he or she may make the motion to reconsider (any other member of the body may second the motion). If a member who voted in the minority seeks to make the motion to reconsider, it must be ruled out of order. The purpose of this rule is finality. If a member of the minority could make a motion to reconsider, then the item could be brought back to the body again and again, which would defeat the purpose of finality.