Constitution of the North Dakota League of Cities

Article I – Name and Objectives

SECTION 1. This organization shall be known as the North Dakota League of Cities and its objectives shall be:

  1. To perpetuate and develop the League as an agency for the cooperation of the cities of the state of North Dakota in the practical study of municipal affairs.
  2. To promote the application of the best methods in all branches of municipal service by holding at least one convention annually for the discussion of problems in city administration.
  3. To gather and circulate information and experience on the most approved methods of city administration.
  4. To secure municipal legislation which will be beneficial to the municipalities of the state and citizens thereof, and to oppose legislation injurious thereto.
Article II – Membership

SECTION 1. Any incorporated city or organized park district in the State of North Dakota shall be eligible to membership in this League.

SECTION 2. Associate members. An entity or individual may become an associate member of the League on application and payment of a sum equal to or in excess of a minimum annual fee as prescribed by the Executive Board. The fees received from such associate members shall entitle them to attend the regional meetings and annual convention. Associate membership shall carry no voting privileges.

SECTION 3. Affiliate members. The Executive Board may, on application, recognize as affiliates of the League, organizations whose membership consists predominantly of North Dakota city officials or employees. The general purpose of such affiliates shall be to encourage the maximum cooperation among the various municipal functions, among administrative departments and among the cities of the state through the League. The Executive Board may require for affiliate recognition such conditions as to activities, membership and finances as it deems appropriate; in no event, however, shall recognized affiliates advocate legislative proposals in conflict with League legislative policies without adhering to procedures set forth in the affiliate agreement.

SECTION 4. Honorary members. All past presidents of the League shall be honorary life members of the League regardless of their official position. All former city officials, whether elected or appointed, shall be entitled to attendance at any regional meeting or annual convention plus a subscription to the League publication, CITYScan, upon payment of an annual fee as determined by the Executive Board. Honorary members shall not be entitled to vote.

SECTION 5. When a city or park district becomes a member of the League, any official of such city or park district may be selected by its governing body as a delegate to any convention of the League.

SECTION 6. Any member or associate member which shall be in arrears for more than one year’s dues shall be stricken from the roll of the League until the dues shall be paid in full.

Article III – Fees and Dues

SECTION 1. Any incorporated city or organized park district desiring to become a member of this League, and any eligible political subdivision or organization desiring to become an associate member, may do so upon signifying such desire and paying the annual dues.

SECTION 2. The annual dues for each city or park district shall be in accordance with a formula fixed from time to time by the Executive Board. The dues of associate members shall be set in accordance with a standard established by the Executive Board. The dues payment includes at least four (4) annual subscriptions to the North Dakota League of Cities CITYScan, the official publication of the League, for each member city; two (2) subscriptions to the CITYScan for each member park district; and one (1) annual subscription to the CITYScan for each associate or honorary member.

SECTION 3. Dues shall be payable in advance of the first day of January each year.

SECTION 4. The Executive Board may establish assessments against each municipality for legislative purposes or in financial emergencies.

Article IV – Regions

SECTION 1. For the purposes of administration of the affairs of the North Dakota League of Cities there shall be six (6) regions:

The Northwest Region shall consist of the counties of Divide, Burke, Williams, Mountrail and McKenzie.

The North Central Region shall consist of the counties of Renville, Bottineau, Rolette, Ward, McHenry, Pierce, Benson, McLean and Eddy.

The Northeast Region shall consist of the counties of Towner, Cavalier, Pembina, Ramsey, Walsh, Nelson, Grand Forks, Griggs, Steele and Traill.

The Southeast Region shall consist of the counties of Barnes, Cass, LaMoure, Ransom, Richland, Dickey and Sargent.

The South Central Region shall consist of the counties of Sheridan, Wells, Foster, Burleigh, Kidder, Stutsman, Emmons, Logan and McIntosh.

The Southwest Region shall consist of the counties of Golden Valley, Billings, Dunn, Stark, Mercer, Oliver, Morton, Slope, Hettinger, Grant, Bowman, Adams and Sioux.

Article V – Officers and Committees

SECTION 1. The officers of this League shall be a President, Vice President, and two (2) regional Executive Board members from each of the six (6) regions.

SECTION 2. The President and Vice President shall be elected annually at the annual convention and shall hold office until their successors are elected and have qualified. The regional Executive Board members shall be elected for two year terms and shall hold office until their successors are elected and have qualified. One Executive Board member from each region shall be elected at the annual convention each year. Each region shall have one representative from a city with a population of less than two thousand five hundred (2,500) and one representative from a city with a population of two thousand five hundred (2,500) or more, if available. No city shall have more than one representative on the Executive Board. The Executive Director shall be appointed by the Executive Board. The Executive Director shall serve as Secretary and Treasurer of the Executive Board.

SECTION 3. The officers of the League, together with the Immediate Past President shall constitute the Executive Board and shall set League policies and shall approve, amend or reject the League budget as offered by the Executive Director.

SECTION 4. All vacancies on the Executive Board shall be filled by appointment by the President, with consent of the Executive Board, until the close of the next annual meeting, except that of the President, which shall be filled by the Vice President until the next annual meeting.

SECTION 5. The President, with the consent of the other members of the Executive Board, shall have power to appoint such committees, including a Legislative Committee, as may be deemed necessary for the proper transaction of the business of the League.

Article VI – Elections

SECTION 1. All officers shall be elected at the business session of the annual convention, except the Executive Director who will hold office at the pleasure of the Executive Board.

SECTION 2. The officers elected shall assume office immediately after the close of the annual meeting.

SECTION 3. Nominations for elective officers shall be made by a Nominating Committee of seven (7) members consisting of the immediate Past President and six (6) members appointed by the President prior to the annual convention. The committee shall include at least one member from each region from a city in the size category of the board member to be nominated for a full term. Individuals who have been nominated for a regional Executive Board position by a particular region shall be included in the Nominating Committee’s recommendations. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.

SECTION 4. No person shall be eligible to an elective office in the League unless he or she is, at the time of this election, an official of an active and qualified member of the League.

SECTION 5. No city or park district may vote by proxy and only delegates from cities or park districts shall cast the ballot of that municipality.

SECTION 6. In all cases where roll call is required, or in the election of the officers, each city together with the park district of the city, (if the park district is a member of the League) shall be entitled to the following number of delegate votes based upon the population of the city:

City Size Number of Delegates

  • 1-999 1
  • 1,000-4,999 2
  • 5,000-9,999 3
  • 10,000-29,999 4
  • 30,000-49,999 5
  • 50,000 + 6

 

 

SECTION 7. Any elective officer of this organization who separates from his or her city office shall automatically vacate his or her office in the League. If an elective officer of this organization separates from his or her city as a result of election results from a regular city election, he or she is eligible to maintain his or her office until the close of the next annual meeting.

ARTICLE VII – Duties

SECTION 1. The duties of the President and Vice President shall be such as are usually performed by officers holding those titles.

SECTION 2. The Executive Director shall cause accurate minutes of the convention and of the meetings of the Executive Board of the League to be kept, shall conduct all correspondence, shall mail notices of all meetings to each member of the League, shall collect and receive all fees and dues and keep a book of accounts with the members, and shall publish the official publication of the League, shall manage the day-to-day affairs of the League, and shall implement policies as determined by the Executive Board.

SECTION 3. The Executive Director shall furnish a bond in an amount to be fixed by the Executive Board and approved by them, the premium on said bond to be paid by the organization.

SECTION 4. The Executive Board shall determine all policy issues confronting the League while the annual convention is not in session. All questions in Executive Board shall be decided by a majority vote and eight (8) shall be a quorum. The Executive Board shall meet at such times as it may be called together by the President or the Executive director or by any three (3) members thereof. In the event of a major policy issue confronting the League, requiring immediate determination, the Executive Director shall make a conference call with the Executive Board. The verbal concurrence of ten (10) Executive Board members during a conference call shall be sufficient to set League policy.

ARTICLE VIII – Convention

SECTION 1. The annual convention of the League shall be held at a time and place determined by the Executive Board.

SECTION 2. Twenty-five (25) cities shall constitute a quorum at the annual convention.

SECTION 3. The program for the annual convention shall be published in the official publication.

SECTION 4. The proceedings of the annual convention shall be published in the official publication.

SECTION 5. At the annual business session of the League, the order of business shall be as follows unless changed by a two-thirds vote of the delegates present:

  1. Executive Director’s Report
  2. Auditing Committee Report
  3. President’s Report
  4. Legislative Committee Report
  5. Nominating Committee Report
  6. Election of Officers
  7. Other business
  8. Adjournment
ARTICLE IX – Information Bureau

SECTION 1. The Executive Board may establish a bureau of municipal information, or may make arrangements with any bureau to perform this service for the League.

SECTION 2. It shall be the duty of each member of the League, through its mayor, council members, commissioners, city managers, auditor or clerk, to furnish to such bureau any information, copies of all official reports, and documents of interest for filing in such bureau for the benefit of other cities which are members of the League, as requested by such bureau or the Executive Director.

SECTION 3. It shall be the privilege of each member of the League, through any of its officers, to request any special information relative to municipal government or administration from such bureau of municipal information or from the Executive Director.

SECTION 4. The Executive Director shall maintain at the League office, such bureau of municipal information, and shall endeavor to comply with all reasonable requests made by the members for information.

ARTICLE X – Amendments

SECTION 1. The constitution may be amended at the annual meeting by a two-thirds vote of all cities voting, provided the proposed amendment shall have been submitted in writing to the Executive Board prior to the annual convention.

As amended at the annual convention, September 19, 1992.

As amended at the annual convention, September 26, 1998.

As amended at the annual convention, September 21, 2019.