Three board seats up for election at the RMA Fall 2018 Convention
Three of the seven seats on the RMA Board of Directors will be up for election at the Fall 2018 Convention and will serve a two-year term (2018-2020):
- President
- Director for District 1 – Foothills Little Bow
- Director for District 4 – Northern
In the event that a current RMA board member from Districts 2, 3 or 5 chooses to run and is successfully elected as President, that District Director position will become available for the remaining one-year period of the two-year term. That district election would take place at the same time as the other district elections already scheduled at the Fall 2018 Convention.
Eligibility Requirements
Section E of the association bylaws identifies eligibility requirements for members of the Board of Directors, including that the individual must be a duly elected official for a full RMA member municipality. For the position of district directors, individuals must represent a municipality that is within the district that is up for election. Click here to determine which municipalities are located in each district.
Board Member Commitment
The duties of an RMA board member are significant and require commitment to the association as well as considerable time for meeting and committee preparation and attendance and travel. RMA encourages members interested in pursuing a RMA board seat to contact a current board member to gain a full understanding of the responsibility and commitment required.
The overall role of RMA board members is to represent and advocate the broad collective municipal and rural interests of the membership, and to oversee the delivery of services that assist members in their business operations and decision-making processes. Serving on the RMA Board of Directors is an opportunity to help shape the direction and future of your organization and serve Alberta’s rural municipalities.
The RMA Board of Directors has 12 regular monthly meetings each year. Those elected to the RMA Board of Directors also serve on the following RMA subsidiary boards:
- RMA Insurance
- RMA Fuel
- Genesis Reciprocal Insurance Exchange (GRIE)
These three business boards meet five times per year in a combined meeting under one RMA Business Services board agenda. These meetings are separate from the regular RMA monthly meetings. In addition to the aforementioned board meetings, there is a commitment to participate in two planning retreats each year.
RMA represents its members on over 70 committees and external boards, which are divided amongst the Board of Directors; committees require varying levels of commitment ranging from monthly to annual meetings. In addition to the aforementioned duties, the RMA President also sits as a board member on the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) which holds multiday meetings across Canada three times per year.
Election Procedures
Please refer to the draft convention agenda for nomination and election times. All nominations must be made from the floor and require a mover and a seconder. Both the mover and seconder may speak for a total of two minutes. Each electoral candidate will have five minutes to speak.
Electronic voting will be used for the election of the RMA President and all district elections will be conducted by a ballot vote. In the case of an election that has three or more candidates, a clear majority (50 per cent plus one) must be obtained by one of the candidates to be declared the winner. If no majority is obtained in the first round of voting, the candidate with the fewest votes will be dropped, and another vote will occur. This process will be followed until one candidate receives the necessary clear majority.
Terms for Directors
Terms for directors will begin at the first board meeting following the Fall 2018 Convention (December 20, 2018) following an orientation. The transition for the position of President will begin immediately and the duties of President will commence at the end of the Fall 2018 Convention.
The RMA’s Policy regarding board member responsibilities is attached for further information.
For enquiries, please contact:
Gerald Rhodes
Executive Director
gerald@RMAlberta.com
Tasha Blumenthal
Director of External Relations & Advocacy
tasha@RMAlberta.com