§ 11-69. Ethical campaign practices committee; generally.

(a)

Composition. The Committee shall be composed of between nine (9) and fifteen (15) Representative Members, up to three (3) Honorary Members, and two (2) Nonvoting Representatives.

(1)

Representative Members. Representative Members are those Committee Members who have been nominated by a nonpartisan, community organization.

a.

The following organizations may each nominate one (1) Representative Member from among its organizational membership:

1.

The League of Women Voters of Broward County, Inc.;

2.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Fort Lauderdale/Broward Branch;

3.

Broward County Bar Association;

4.

Broward Hispanic Bar Association;

5.

Nova Southeastern University College of Law;

6.

South Florida Manufacturers Association;

7.

Marine Industries Association of South Florida;

8.

South Florida Aviation Maintenance Council;

9.

Anti-Defamation League Corp.;

10.

Haitian Lawyers Association;

11.

The Caribbean Bar Association;

12.

The Jamaican Bar Association; and

13.

The TJ Reddick Bar Association.

b.

By two-thirds (⅔) vote of the then-appointed members, and provided the Committee has at least five (5) members at the time of such vote, the Committee may add additional groups that may nominate Representative Members. The Chair shall notify the Board of County Commissioners and County Attorney if any additional groups have been added and, by majority vote, the County Commission may nullify the addition of any group. A group added pursuant to this paragraph should be experienced in legal matters, must be a bona fide entity representing community interests, and may not endorse candidates or be parent to, subsidiary of, or be in formal legal affiliation with organizations that endorse Candidates.

(2)

Honorary Members. The Committee may, by majority vote, nominate up to three (3) Honorary Members. While not representative of any particular group, Honorary Members should be those who have provided a lifetime of service to the community and who have an outstanding reputation and unimpeachable credibility. Examples of possible Honorary Members include, but are not limited to, retired judges, former elected officials, attorneys with distinguished careers performing pro bono work, retired university deans and presidents, retired journalists, and other prominent community leaders.

(3)

Nonvoting Representatives. The Broward Democratic Party and Broward Republican Party may each nominate one (1) Nonvoting Representative that shall be entitled to sit with the Committee and take part in the Committee's business but may not vote and shall not be counted for purposes of determining a quorum. Minor political parties, as defined by Section 97.021(19), Florida Statutes, as amended and renumbered, may nominate a Nonvoting Representative if, in the previous Florida Governor's election, the minor political party's Candidate received at least ten percent (10%) of the vote in Broward County.

(4)

All Committee Members and Nonvoting Representatives are subject to confirmation by the Board of County Commissioners.

(5)

Before a Committee Member may vote at any hearing held pursuant to Section 11-70, the Committee Member must receive at least one (1) training session on common campaign practices, as provided by Section 11-69(e).

(b)

Committee Member Requirements. All Committee Members shall be residents of Broward County. In addition, the following restrictions and limitations apply:

(1)

Disqualifications. No Committee Member may:

a.

Be a Candidate for any elected office;

b.

Currently hold elected office or have held elected office within the previous two (2) year period preceding the date of his or her appointment;

c.

Be a member of any partisan organization (merely being a registered member of a political party shall not, in itself, be disqualifying); or

d.

Be employed by Broward County or by any other government entity over whose elections the Committee has jurisdiction.

(2)

Recusal. A Committee Member must recuse himself or herself from any decision or proceeding involving any Candidate whom the Committee Member has endorsed or if the Committee Member has donated to the Candidate's campaign or Political Committee.

(c)

Removal. Committee Members and Nonvoting Representatives have a four-year term and may otherwise serve until they are removed, resign, or are replaced by a successor named by the nominating organization. Committee Members and Nonvoting Representatives may be reappointed for and serve for an unlimited number of terms.

(1)

Committee Members and Nonvoting Representatives may be removed by majority vote of the Board of County Commissioners or Supermajority Vote of the Committee.

(2)

A Committee Member is automatically removed if he or she has more than three (3) consecutive unexcused absences. The automatic removal of a Committee Member is deemed effective when written notice of the reason for the removal is sent to the Committee Member and to the appointing organization, if any, by the County Attorney or his or her designee. The absence of a Committee Member shall be deemed excused under the following circumstances:

a.

When the Member is performing an authorized alternative activity relating to Committee business that directly conflicts with the properly noticed meeting;

b.

The death of an immediate family member, defined as a spouse, father, mother, stepparent, one who has stood in the place of a parent (in loco parentis), child, stepchild, grandparent, grandchild, guardian, or custodian;

c.

The death of a Member's domestic partner, or the death of a child, stepchild, parent, grandparent, or grandchild of a Member's domestic partner;

d.

The Member's hospitalization or receipt of necessary emergency medical treatment at or around the time of a properly noticed meeting;

e.

When the Member is summoned to jury duty;

f.

When the Member is attending a deposition, hearing, trial, or other legal proceeding for which attendance is required by a subpoena or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction; or

g.

For other good cause, as determined by the Chair, where such absence does not prevent the Committee from convening due to the lack of a quorum.

(d)

General Committee Procedures.

(1)

The Committee will elect a Chair and Vice-Chair, both of whom must be members in good standing of any state bar or former members of any state bar whose lapse in membership is not the result of disciplinary action, and such other officers from among its Members as it may deem necessary. In any instance where this article prescribes a duty to the Chair, and the Chair is unavailable or delegates such duty to the Vice-Chair, the Vice-Chair will perform that duty. Each officer shall be elected by a majority vote for a term of one (1) year. All officers shall take office on the date of the election.

(2)

Meetings may be called by the Chair or the Vice-Chair or by any two (2) Committee Members.

(3)

A majority of Committee Members shall constitute a quorum. A majority vote of those present and voting shall be required to make any decision, except as otherwise provided in this article.

(4)

The Office of the County Attorney shall represent the Committee and shall supply the required administrative assistance to the Committee. The County Administrator shall supply the Committee with required meeting space.

(e)

Meetings. The Committee shall meet from time to time in order to conduct any business of the Committee as it may deem necessary. No fewer than two (2) times a year, the Committee shall conduct training, including hearing from speakers who are experienced in common campaign practices, in order to educate the Committee Members.

(Ord. No. 2019-09 , § 1, 2-26-19)