About the Committee

The Bonner County Republican Central Committee (BCRCC) is a private political committee organized under the laws of the state of Idaho. The BCRCC is affiliated with the Idaho Republican Party, which is also a private political organization. The BCRCC is the official Republican party organization for Bonner County.

The committee consists of precinct committeemen (PC’s), who are elected every two years in the Republican primary. Even though the PC’s are elected in a primary, they are not public officials. They are instead Republican party officials at the most grassroots level of the party – a small geographical area called a precinct. Precincts are the neighborhoods where voters in communities vote together, usually at a particular polling location.

The BCRCC members also choose officers, many of which are PC’s themselves. So the entire committee consists of the elected PC’s and officers of the organization who are not also PC’s. The main purposes of a Republican County Central Committee are:

  • To send delegates to the Idaho Republican Party convention every two years to elect state party leadership. The delegates also help shape the rules of the Idaho Republican Party and craft its platform, and they debate and vote on party resolutions. You do not need to be a member of the BCRCC to become a delegate to the convention, but the BCRCC chooses its delegates within 10 days of each primary election.
  • The BCRCC also meets monthly every 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Ponderay Event Center at 6:30 PM (the public is welcome at these meetings) and maintains relationships with local elected officials.
  • The BCRCC recruits, vets, endorses and financially supports Republicans candidates for elected offices. We are looking for adherence to the federal and state constitutions and to the Idaho Republican Party platform.
  • If there is a vacancy in county elected offices, the BCRCC has the primary role to fill those vacancies. Since the county central committee also elects people to legislative district committees, then by extension the county central committees also play a key role in filling vacancies in state legislative positions as well.

Officers

Scott Herndon, Chair

Mat Macdonald, Vice-Chair

Kathy Rose, Secretary

Spencer Hutchings, Treasurer

Daniel Vaniman, State Committeeman

Monique Hutchings, State Comitteewoman

Holly Vidmar, State Youth Committee Person

Precinct Committeemen

Anita Aurit, Airport

Rick Kirschner, Algoma

Victoria Zeischegg, Baldy

Wendy Tico, Beach

John Weyant, Blue Lake

Thomas Fletcher, Careywood

Roger Rudd, Clagstone

Dimitry Borisov, Clark Fork

Mark Montani, Colburn

Dodie Glass, Dover

Karen Stifel, E. Priest River

Doug Paterson, Edgemere

Lisa Liband, Gamlin Lake

Dan Rose, Grouse Creek

Lora Adams, Hope

Mat Macdonald, Humbird

Grace Bauer, Kootenai

Precinct Committeemen

Jane Purdy, Laclede

Lamb Creek, Vacant

Tom Cleveland, Oden

Rod Van Loon, Oldtown

Mike Nielsen, Priest Lake

Chris Anderson, Sagle

Sean Morgan, Selle

Cornel Rasor, Southside

Asia Williams, Spirit Valley

Washington, Vacant

Scott Herndon, Westmond

Patricia Hampton, West Priest River

Wrenco, Vacant

Our Bylaws

Article I

NAME

The name of the organization shall be the Bonner County Republican Central Committee, which shall hereinafter be referred to as the BCRCC.

Article II

AUTHORITY AND PURPOSE

Section 1       The BCRCC is formed in accordance with sections 34-502 and 34-505, Idaho Code, and the rules of the Republican Party of the State of Idaho. The BCRCC shall have all the powers and duties prescribed by state law and regulations adopted by the State Party Conventions or the State Central Committee.

Section 2       The BCRCC shall be the governing body for the Republican Party of Bonner County and as such shall establish all policies and functions of the Republican Party on the county level, as long as they are not inconsistent with the rules and regulations of the Idaho Republican Party and Idaho Code. The following articles of these bylaws shall constitute the rules of conduct of the BCRCC, and shall supersede all previous bylaws and rules of order.

Article III

MEMBERS

Section 1       The members of the BCRCC shall consist of the Precinct Committeemen elected at the State Primary Election, the Precinct Committeemen who are appointed by the BCRCC according to section 34-502, Idaho Code, and Article VI of these bylaws, and the Officers duly elected by the Precinct Committeemen.

Section 2       The Precinct Committeemen shall elect all officers of the BCRCC at the biennial organizational meeting in accordance with Article V Section 1 of these bylaws.

Section 3       All Precinct Committeemen of the BCRCC shall be affiliated with the Republican Party and be qualified electors of the Bonner County precinct in which they reside. Officers that are not Precinct Committeemen shall be affiliated with the Republican Party and be qualified electors of Bonner County.

Section 4       Voting Members

Precinct Committeemen shall have full voting rights. Proxy voting is accepted for all actions, except those listed in IDGOP state rule Article IV, Section 12. Members of the BCRCC who are not Precinct Committeemen have voting rights with the following exceptions:

  1. The election of BCRCC Officers;
  2. The election of delegates to the State Convention;
  3. The appointment of Precinct Committeemen; and
  4. The nominations of candidates to fill county office positions.

A member who holds more than one position shall have only one vote, and shall be restricted in voting privileges as designated in this Section.

Article IV

OFFICERS AND THEIR DUTIES and qualifications

Section 1.         The officers of the BCRCC shall be composed of a Chair, Vice Chair, State Committeeman, State Committeewoman, State Youth Committeeperson, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Chair:

  1. Shall establish the meeting agendas;
  2. Shall call to order and preside at BCRCC meetings;
  3. Shall be responsible for conducting all BCRCC meetings in accordance with these bylaws;
  4. Shall see that order is maintained at BCRCC meetings;
  5. Shall oversee Officers and Precinct Committeemen pertaining to BCRCC business and perform such other duties as are determined and granted by the BCRCC and these bylaws;
  6. Is an ex-officio, non-voting, member of all standing committees; and
  7. Must be a Precinct Committeeman.

 

Vice Chair:

  1. Shall assist the Chair;
  2. Shall carry out responsibilities assigned by the Chair and the BCRCC;
  3. Shall preside in the Chair’s absence at any meeting of the BCRCC, Executive Committee, or any other meeting the Chair would be authorized to attend and over which the Chair would otherwise preside;
  4. Shall perform other duties as prescribed by the Chair; and
  5. Must be a Precinct Committeeman.

 

Secretary:

  1. Shall maintain a list of names, addresses, and contact information for members of the BCRCC;
  2. Shall maintain a record of attendance and of proxies;
  3. Shall oversee and facilitate all correspondence pertaining to BCRCC business;
  4. Shall publish the agenda for each meeting;
  5. Shall call the roll;
  6. Shall notify the members of each meeting;
  7. Shall record and maintain the minutes of meetings of the BCRCC and the Executive Committee;
  8. Shall perform other duties as prescribed by the Chair; and
  9. Need not be a Precinct Committeeman.

 

Treasurer:

  1. Shall have charge of all funds of the BCRCC and furnish a written Treasurer’s Report to the BCRCC monthly prior to each regular meeting;
  2. Is an ex-officio, non-voting member of the Fundraising Committee;
  3. Shall file such reports as required by state and federal law and provide copies of such reports to the members of BCRCC if requested;
  4. Shall perform other duties as prescribed by the Chair; and
  5. Need not be a Precinct Committeeman

 

State Committeeman and State Committeewoman:

  1. Shall serve as BCRCC liaisons to the Region 1 and State Central Committees;
  2. Shall perform other such duties as prescribed by the Chair; and
  3. Need not be a Precinct Committeeman.

 

State Youth Committeeperson:

  1. Shall serve as BCRCC liaison to the State Central Committee;
  2. Shall be between the ages of 18 and 40 at the time of his or her election;
  3. Shall perform other such duties as prescribed by the Chair: and
  4. Need not be a Precinct Committeeman.

Section 2.           Term of office for Officers shall be for two years or until their successors are elected.

Article V

MEETINGS

Section 1.           Biennial Organization Meeting: The biennial organization meeting is held to elect officers of the BCRCC and delegates to the State Convention. The meeting shall be held within ten (10) days after the Primary Election at the county seat. The incumbent Chair shall notify by mail and/or email, the newly elected Precinct Committeemen as reported by the County Clerk, and shall give them at least seven (7) days’ notice of the date, time and place of the meeting.

Section 2.           Regular meetings: Regular meetings shall be held monthly, at a regularly scheduled day, time, and place.

Section 3.           Special Meetings: Special meetings may be called by the Chair, or by seven (7) members of the BCRCC duly qualified to vote, petitioning the Secretary for notice as herein provided. Proper notification shall consist of at least a 72-hour notice. Notice shall include the purpose for the meeting and the business to be conducted. The meeting shall be limited to the purpose stated in the notice.

Section 4.           Executive Session: An Executive Session consists of only Executive Committee members and members of the BCRCC. An Executive Session may be called by any member of the BCRCC at any BCRCC meeting.

Section 5.           The Agenda: A proposed agenda shall be published not less than five (5) days prior to each meeting by emailing to all members. Items to be included on the agenda must be submitted to the Chair, not less than seven (7) days prior to the meeting at which the agenda is to be used.

Section 6.           Quorum: A quorum shall consist of one-third (1/3) of the duly elected BCRCC members. Proxies cannot be used to establish a quorum.

Section 7.           Proxies: A proxy statement must include the following information: the name and signature of the person issuing the proxy, the person to whom the proxy is assigned, and the date of the meeting at which the proxy is to be used. A proxy shall not be valid at more than one meeting.  Valid proxies shall be submitted to the Secretary prior to the opening of the meeting as a hard/paper copy for record retention.

Section 8.           Proper Notification of Meetings: Unless specified otherwise, proper notification shall be by email. If any member wishes to be notified by any other means (e.g., postal mail, fax, etc.), the member must give written instructions of his preference to the Secretary.

Section 9.           Meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the Chair at any time, with a notice of three (3) business days.

Section 10.         Electronic meetings:

  1. The BCRCC may hold electronic meetings in accordance with the Idaho State GOP Rules and shall require the appointment of a person to set up and operate the audio/visual aspects of the meeting.
  2. Standing and Non-Standing Committees may hold meetings by videoconferencing or teleconferencing. They may conduct their business, including proposing, discussing and voting on motions, through videoconferencing or by teleconference meetings between regular meetings when the item is of a time-sensitive nature. Any use of email to conduct meetings will require all parties to obtain Digital Certificates in order to digitally sign all individual email required to conduct the meeting.
  3. Members attending by electronic means shall be considered present and count toward a quorum.

 

Article VI

VACANCIES

Section 1.           When a vacancy occurs for a Precinct Committeeman:

  • Written notification shall be given to the Chairman / Executive Committee prior to a subsequent meeting at which nominations would be made. Formal notification of a vacancy shall be sent to each member of the BCRCC at least fourteen (14) days prior to a BCRCC regular meeting where nominations may be held.
  • Names of candidates for consideration shall be submitted to the Search Committee for confirmation of qualifications.
  • The BCRCC shall fill such vacancies by nomination. Only a voting member of the BCRCC may make such nominations.
  • All nominees shall be voted on by written ballot at the next regular meeting of the BCRCC, except when only one (1) candidate is nominated therefore, in which case only a voice vote of confirmation is necessary.
  • All nominees must be present at the time of a vote on their election by appointment. If no nominee is present for a particular position at the time of the vote, nominations shall be reopened, provided that nothing shall prevent the original nominee from being re-nominated.
  • Any BCRCC member chosen according to the provisions of this article shall be considered duly elected.
  • The Chair shall certify to the County Clerk and the Idaho State GOP, before the next regular meeting, the name and address of the elected member.

Section 2.           When a vacancy occurs for a BCRCC Officer:

  • Written notification shall be given to the Chairman / Executive Committee prior to a subsequent meeting at which nominations would be made. Formal notification of vacancy shall be sent to each member of the BCRCC at least fourteen (14) days prior to a BCRCC regular meeting where nominations and election will be held.
  • The BCRCC shall fill such vacancies by nomination. Only a voting member of the BCRCC may make such nominations.
  • All nominees shall be voted on by written ballot, with the exception of when only one (1) candidate is nominated, in which case only a voice vote of confirmation is necessary.
  • All nominees must be present at the time of the vote for their election. If no nominee is present for a particular position, nominations shall be reopened, provided that nothing shall prevent the original nominee from being re-nominated.
  • Any BCRCC member chosen according to the provisions of this article shall be considered duly elected.

 

Article VII

COMMITTEES

Section 1.           The BCRCC shall have the following standing committees: Bylaws, Elections, Executive, Fundraising, Rules and Resolutions, and Search.

Section 2.           Non-standing committees may be created by a majority vote of the BCRCC. All non-standing committees created by the BCRCC shall be established by a letter of appointment, drafted by the BCRCC Chair, defining the authority, purpose, and duration of the committee. All non-standing committees shall terminate with the submission and acceptance by the Chair of their final report.

Section 3.           Quorum: A quorum for standing and non-standing committees shall consist of one-third (1/3) of the members of the committee, except that no quorum can be established with less than two members. Proxies cannot be used to establish a quorum.

 

Section 4                Bylaws Committee:  The Bylaws Committee shall review all proposed bylaw changes. The committee will decide if the recommended changes are allowed under Idaho Code and by the rules of the Idaho Republican Party. The Bylaws Committee shall also decide if the recommended changes are appropriate to be incorporated into the BCRCC bylaws or if the intended effect is better achieved through a more appropriate means. The Bylaws Committee shall present all items passed by the committee to the BCRCC body at the next regular meeting. The Bylaws Committee shall consist of up to five (5) members of the BCRCC. The chair of the committee shall be chosen by its members.

 

Section 5            Elections Committee:  The Elections Committee shall review candidates and issues that may appear on future election ballots.  Members shall consist of up to five (5) people who are affiliated with the Republican Party and are qualified electors of Bonner County. A majority of the members must be BCRCC members. Chair of the committee shall be chosen by its members and must be a BCRCC member.

 

Section 6.           Executive Committee:

  • The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, State Committeeman, State Committeewoman, and the State Youth Committee Person.
  • The Executive Committee shall have the authority to act on behalf of the BCRCC between regular meetings and at the discretion of the Chair. All proper action taken by the Executive Committee shall be ratified by a majority vote at the next regular meeting.

 

Section 7.         Fundraising Committee: The Fundraising Committee shall plan and coordinate fundraising for the committee. Members shall consist of up to five (5) people who are affiliated with the Republican Party and qualified electors of Bonner County. A majority of the members must be BCRCC members. Chair of the committee shall be chosen by its members and must be a BCRCC member.

Section 8.         Rules and Resolutions Committee: The Rules and Resolutions Committee shall review all proposed rule changes and resolutions presented to be brought before the body. The committee will decide if the item meets the criteria, supports the Idaho Republican Platform, and is properly written. The committee shall present all items passed by the committee to the BCRCC body at the next regular meeting. Members shall consist of up to five (5) members of the BCRCC. Chair of the committee shall be chosen by its members.

Section 9.         Search Committee: The Search Committee will seek, vet, and nominate all candidates for the position of Precinct Committeeman from among the qualified Republican voters of Bonner County’s respective precincts. Members shall consist of three (3) BCRCC members. Chair of the committee shall be chosen by its members.

 

Article VIII

Amendments

Section 1.         These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members present at any regular or special meeting, provided that the proposed amendment(s) must have been sent, via U.S. mail or electronic mail, to all members at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting at which any such amendment is to be voted upon, and further provided that any such amendment(s) had been recommended for adoption by the Bylaws Committee.

 

Article IX

RULES OF PROCEDURE

Section 1.         Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised, latest edition, shall be the parliamentary authority for the conduct of business and meetings of the BCRCC and committees for all matters not specifically covered by these Bylaws, insofar as they are not inconsistent with Idaho Code Title 34 and the Rules of the Idaho Republican Party.

 

Adopted by the BCRCC on August 17, 2021