During the April 9, 2024 scheduled meeting of the Washington County Republican Central Committee, Kirk Chandler was removed from office as Chairman of the Washington County Republican Central Committee (the “WCRCC”).
The April 9, 2024 meeting of the WCRCC was a regularly scheduled monthly meeting of the WCRCC. Notice of the meeting was properly given at the March 12th, 2024 meeting of the WCRCC, was announced in the agenda of the March 12 meeting, was posted on the WCRCC website more than one week prior to the April 9, 2024 meeting, and was also provided on the Living in the News Facebook page in numerous ads placed by the WCRCC. Nothing in the WCRCC Bylaws, State Republican Party Rules, or Robert’s Rules of Order give the Chairman the authority to cancel a scheduled meeting of the WCRCC and Mr. Chandler wrongfully attempted to cancel the April 9, 2024, and the May 14th, 2024 meetings unilaterally, without a vote of the precinct committee persons of the WCRCC.
Present at the meeting were six out of eleven elected precinct committee persons of the WCRCC, constituting a quorum. Although one of the precinct committee persons had previously resigned from the WCRCC, that resignation was never acknowledged by the chairman, and was rescinded prior to a vote of the WCRCC to accept said resignation, which is allowable pursuant to Robert’s Rules of Order.
The Chairman was absent at the meeting and the meeting was presided over by the Vice-Chairman of the WCRCC. A precinct committee person asked for a censure of the Chairman due to the Chairman’s attempt to cancel the scheduled meeting without the vote of the precinct committee persons of the WCRCC. The motion to censure the Chairman due to the foregoing reason was then made by the Vice-Chairman, properly second, and carried by a majority vote. Mr. Chandler was not present to defend himself on the censure motion.
Following the censure, a precinct committee person made a motion to remove the Chairman, Kirk Chandler as Chairman of the WCRCC due to the censure. The motion was properly second and carried by a 2/3 majority vote. Because the WCRCC Bylaws state that officers- “shall hold office at the pleasure of the county central committee or until their successors are elected” a trial was not required pursuant to Robert’s Rules of Order.
