Bylaws

Article I. Name and Affiliation

Section 1. The name of this organization shall be the Small Cities Advisory Council (SCAC).

Section 2. The Council shall be affiliated with and be an advisory council to the Texas Municipal League (TML) Board of Directors.

Article II. Purpose

The purpose of the advisory council is to advise the TML Board of Directors and staff regarding the ways in which the League's services to small cities can be enhanced, consistent with the League's resources and the needs of the organization as a whole.

Article III. Membership

Section 1. Each member of the advisory council must represent a Texas city of less than 15,000 population. Each member shall serve two-year terms without a limit to the number of terms. If during two-year term, a member's city population exceeds 15,000, that member may continue to serve until their SCAC current term expires, at which time, the member will rotate off the Council.

Section 2. Members of the advisory council must be elected or appointed officials of TML member cities, and there shall be no more than one representative from any city. It is the intent of the SCAC to have a minimum of two representatives from each of the TML regions.

Section 3. Appointments to the advisory council are made by the TML President after a notice of vacancy(ies) appears. Announcement of the vacancy(ies) shall appear in the TML publication, Texas Town & City.

Section 4. The total membership of the advisory council is limited to forty persons, plus the chair and vice-chair.

Article IV. Terms of Office

Section 1. Members may serve on the advisory council as long as they meet all requirements of membership. The terms of the council members shall be staggered so that the terms of approximately one-half of the members of the Small Cities Advisory Council shall expire each year. The terms of the SCAC members from the TML regions bearing odd-numbered designations shall expire in odd-numbered years. The terms of the SCAC members from the TML regions bearing even-numbered designations shall expire in the even-numbered years. The terms shall begin December 1 of the appropriate years.

Section 2. If a member of the council is absent from two consecutive scheduled meetings without being excused by action of the advisory council, the member may be disqualified from serving on the Small Cities Advisory Council. An absence is excused only if: (a) the absent member informed the chair or the TML staff of his/her absence in advance, and (b) the advisory council votes to excuse the absence. If a member of the council is absent from three consecutive scheduled meetings, the member is automatically disqualified from serving on the SCAC regardless of reason for the absences.

Article V. Officers

Section 1. The officers of the advisory council shall be a chair and vice-chair.

Section 2. The officers of the advisory council shall be appointed by the TML President from the membership of the advisory council with consideration given to geographic diversification.

Section 3. The term of office for the officers of the advisory council shall be December 1 to November 30 of the following year.

Section 4. A vacancy in the position of chair of the advisory council shall be filled for the remainder of the term by the succession of the vice-chair. A vacancy in the position of vice-chair shall be filled by appointment by the TML President from the membership of the advisory council.

Article VI. Meetings

Section 1. The advisory council shall meet not less than three regularly scheduled times during each year. Notice of meetings shall be emailed to each member a minimum of thirty days prior to the date of the meeting. Special meetings can be called by the chair of the advisory council as necessary.

Section 2. Except as otherwise provided by this section, meetings of the SCAC may be held remotely using video conferencing technology when convening a quorum of the SCAC in-person is impossible or inadvisable, as determined by the SCAC Chair or presiding officer of the SCAC. The annual February meeting shall be held remotely using video conferencing technology, unless the SCAC Chair or presiding officer of the SCAC determines that the agenda necessitates an in-person meeting. Participation at a SCAC meeting using video conferencing technology will constitute presence at the meeting for purposes of establishing a quorum and voting.

Article VII. Amendments to the Bylaws

The bylaws may be amended at any meeting by a two-thirds vote of the members of the advisory council present and voting.

Revision Approved: October 2022