GPCA SGA Proposal: Amendment, Fiscal Policy: Timing of Fiscal Year

SPONSOR: Green Party of Contra Costa County

PRESENTER: Tim Laidman

SUBJECT: Amendment, Fiscal Policy: Timing of Fiscal Year

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: At the June 9-10, 2018 GPCA General Assembly in Stockton, an amendment to the GPCA Fiscal Policy was proposed by an improper method not provided for under GPCA Bylaws. As a result, under GPCA Bylaws this amendment did not take force. Yet GPCA practice has gone on as if it was.

This proposal would properly propose such an amendment in keeping within GPCA bylaws, in order to bring the party’s current practices in compliance.  

Specifically GPCA Bylaws 7-5.1(a) require that "The Coordinating Committee shall establish a Draft Agenda for all General Assembly meetings, distribute it at least 42 days in advance to each County Organization" , and GPCA Bylaws 7-5.1(b) require that "The Draft Agenda shall incorporate agenda items submitted by committees, working groups and County Organizations as provided for in these bylaws; shall distinguish among decision making items, reports and discussion items"

Additionally according to GPCA Bylaws 13-2.2. any proposed amendments to the GPCA’s governing documents (Bylaws, Rules and Procedures, Fiscal Policy) " must be submitted to the Bylaws Committee. The Bylaws Committee shall review the proposed amendments and provide recommendations to the sponsors, including to promote consistency in numbering, format, terminology and meaning with existing documents, to minimize ambiguity and to promote clarity."

Despite these party rules, without prior notice to the the County Organizations and without prior submission to the ByLaws Committee, a proposal was made from the floor at the Stockton General Assembly to amend the GPCA Fiscal Policy to change the Fiscal Year from July 1 through June 30 to a calendar year of January 1 through December 31. Instead of being submitted according to party rules, this proposal was submitted by the GPCA Treasurer (who does not have standing under GPCA Bylaws to individually propose a party rules change) as part of the draft budget proposed for approval at this GA, and not even as a stand alone amendment to the Fiscal Policy.  Furthermore this text not released in any form electronically or in paper to anyone before being raised at the actual meeting, meaning there was no background explanation accompanying the proposal, comparing and contrasting the then existing fiscal year timing and comparing and contrasting it to the proposed new timing, meaning GA delegates did not have the benefit of being exposed to such an explanation before hearing the proposal.

Despite all of this, this proposal from the floor without a proper sponsor and without required prior process was discussed and voted on by the GA. Despite this, no minutes were ever posted from the Stockton GA reflecting this change, and the Fiscal Policy was  never amended on the GPCA website to reflect it.

Since the Stockton GA did not have a written background to compare and contrast the existing and proposed timings, and since the GPCA will now have some experience with this changed timing, this proposal would effectuate the proposed fiscal year time change, but do so with a sunset clause, after which the GA could receive a report on its use since 2018 and make an informed judgement whether to make the change permanent or revert to the prior fiscal year timing.

PROPOSAL: To amend the bylaws by proper procedure to set the fiscal year of the GPCA for a trial Period, automatically sunsetting in June 2022 to the calendar year of January 1 through December 31.

Part I: The GPCA Fiscal Policy shall be amended from

Section 5-1 Fiscal Year  

The Fiscal Year shall run from July 1 to June 30.

Part 1: The GPCA Fiscal Policy shall be amended from

Section 5-1 Fiscal Year  

The Fiscal Year shall run from January 1 through December 31, through 2022.  Afterwards the Fiscal Year shall revert to July 1 to June 30, unless the Finance Committee brings forward a proposal to the May/June 2022 General Assembly, to permanently amend the Fiscal Policy to retain the calendar year fiscal year, where such proposal would include  a background discussion comparing the calendar year fiscal year with the prior July to June fiscal year, no later than the May/June 2022 General Assembly.

Part II: Should the proposal from the Finance Committee in 2022 to amend Section 5-1 not pass, then the language for Section 5-1 shall revert to

Section 5-1 Fiscal Year  

The Fiscal Year shall run from July 1 to June 30.

COMMITTEE DECISION: Consensus vote of the GPCC County Council

TIMELINE/RESOURCES: Effective immediately, GPCA Treasurer and Finance Committee to make report and possible proposal in SGA in spring 2022