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Virginia Association of Assessing Officers

Constitution

Article I

Name and Objectives

Section 1. Name. The name of the Association shall be Virginia Association of Assessing Officers, also referred to as VAAO.

Section 2. Objectives.  The objectives of this association shall be (1) to improve the standards of assessment practice; (2) to educate those engaged in assessment practice; (3) to educate the general public in matters relating to assessment practice; (4) to collect and disseminate useful information relating to assessment practices; (5) to cooperate with other public and private agencies interested in improving assessment administration; and (6) in every way to promote the cause of justice and equity in the distribution of the property tax burden.

Article II

Membership

Section 1. Regular Members.  All employees of the Commonwealth of Virginia or any of its political subdivisions, whose duties are property assessment or administration, may apply for regular membership.

Section 2. Associate Members.  Any person not eligible for regular membership who is interested in promoting the objectives of this association may apply for associate membership.

Section 3. Retired Members.  All persons who were either regular or associate members at the time of their retirement from active service in their regular employment may apply for retired membership. Any President who retires during term of office may be permitted to complete such term as specified in the bylaws.

Section 4. Past President Members. Upon leaving office as Immediate Past President, membership status becomes past president. Past president members shall have all of the rights of regular members except holding office.

Section 5. Honorary Members.  Persons who have rendered outstanding service to this association may be accorded honorary membership as specified in the bylaws. Honorary members shall be conferred for life. Honorary members shall have all of the rights of regular members except voting rights.

Section 6. Lifetime Members.  Regular members who have rendered outstanding service to this association may be accorded lifetime membership as specified in the bylaws. Lifetime members shall be conferred for life. Lifetime members shall have all of the rights of regular members except holding office.

Section 7. Voting Rights.  Only regular members, lifetime members, and past president members may vote on issues before the association. Only regular members may hold office, except as provided for in Section 3 of this article.

Section 8. Membership Application.  The Association shall have an application form approved by the Board of Directors.

Section 9. Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct.  All members shall subscribe to the objectives of the association, the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct of the International Association of Assessing Officers and the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice as copyrighted by the Appraisal Foundation.

Section 10. Expulsion or Suspension of Members.  Violation of Article II Section 9 of this constitution may subject a member to expulsion or suspension from membership in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by the board of directors.

Section 11. Dues.  The board of directors shall establish the annual dues for each category of membership. Members shall be suspended for nonpayment of dues as may be prescribed in the bylaws. No dues or fees of any kind shall be required of honorary members, lifetime members, and retired past president members.

Article III

Officers

Section 1. Officers.  The officers of the association shall consist of the (1) president, (2) president-elect, (3) first vice-president, (4) second vice-president, (5) secretary, and (6) treasurer.

Section 2. Selection.  Annually there shall be elected for terms of one year by the regular members in good standing a president-elect, first vice-president, second vice-president, secretary and treasurer.

Section 3. President-Elect.  The president-elect shall succeed to the office of president automatically at the end of the president’s term.

Section 4. Oath of Office.  No officer or director shall assume office without first being duly sworn in, in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws of this association to administer the duties and responsibilities of the office to which they have been elected.

Article IV

Board of Directors

Section 1. Governing Body.  The governing body of the association shall be the board of directors with the authority to adopt resolutions to take actions deemed necessary to accomplish the objectives of the association.

Section 2. Board of Directors.  The board of directors shall consist of the president, immediate past president, president-elect, first vice-president, second vice-president, secretary, and treasurer as officers, and six directors elected from the regular members of the association. Three directors shall be elected annually to serve two-year terms. No officer or director shall be eligible for the term of office next succeeding his second successive term in the same office.

Section 3. Vacancy.  The order of succession to the office of the president shall be the president-elect, first vice-president and second vice-president. Whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of the president the person next in the order of succession shall immediately become president and be vested with all authority accorded the office of president. Any vacancy which shall occur in the office of president-elect or any vice-president shall not be filled until the next election. Whenever a vacancy occurs in any office subject to election by the membership other than president, president-elect, or any vice-president, the president may appoint a member in good standing to complete the unexpired term subject to the approval by the board of directors.

Section 4. Meetings.  The board of directors shall meet on the call of the president. For the purpose of transacting business, a quorum shall consist of not fewer than seven members of the board of directors.

Article V

Duties of Officers

Section 1. President.  The president shall be the chairperson of the board of directors and preside at all meetings of the regular members held for the purpose of transacting association business. The president appoints the chairperson and members of all committees necessary for the proper conduct of the business of the association. The president is an ex-officio member of all committees. The president shall present an annual report to the membership at the annual meeting and strive in every way to attain the objectives of the association.

Section 2. President-elect.  The president-elect shall perform all duties encumbered upon the office of president-elect as set out in the Constitution or Bylaws of this association and all other duties that may be assigned by the president or board of directors. Further, in case of a vacancy in the office of the president, the president-elect shall succeed to the office of president and shall act in the place and stead of the president in performing all duties and responsibilities encumbered upon the said office.

Section 3. First Vice-President.  The first vice-president shall preside at meetings in the absence of the president and president-elect and perform any duties assigned by the president or the board of directors.

Section 4. Second Vice-President.  The second vice-president shall preside at meetings in the absence of the president, president-elect and first vice-president and perform any duties assigned by the president or the board of directors.

Section 5. Secretary.  The secretary shall keep minutes of all meetings of the association and of the board of directors, and shall retain all committee reports submitted to the association or the board of directors and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the board of directors.

Section 6. Treasurer.  The treasurer is the chief financial agent and officer of the association and shall exercise such authority and perform such duties as may be prescribed by the board of directors. The treasurer shall have custody of the operating fund, securities and legal instruments of the association and shall be responsible for their safekeeping. To this end, the treasurer may determine the place and manner of depositing and safekeeping such funds, securities and legal instruments. The treasurer shall maintain a current, up-to-date roster of all members of the association and be responsible for processing and approving all membership applications.

Article VI

Funds

Section 1. Creation.  Funds of the association shall consist of a general operating fund and all other necessary funds.

Section 2. Operation.  The operation and control of the funds shall be as specified in the bylaws of the association.

Section 3. Bonds.  The treasurer and any other person responsible for the funds of the association shall furnish bond in a minimal amount of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).

Article VII

Meetings

Section 1. Annual Business Meeting. There shall be an annual business meeting of the association to be held at such time and place as may be specified in accordance with the bylaws of the association.

Article VIII

Nomination, Election, and Removal of Officers and Directors

Section 1. Nomination.  Candidates for election shall be nominated as may be specified in the bylaws.

Section 2. Elections.  Each year officers and directors shall be elected at the annual business meeting for terms beginning immediately upon being administered the oath of office.

Section 3. Removal.  Upon a three-fourths affirmative vote of the board of directors any officer or director, for just cause, shall be removed from office. Such vote shall only be taken after the individual has been given the opportunity to state their case.

Article IX

Amendments to the Constitution

Section 1. How Proposed.  Amendments may be proposed by either a petition signed by no fewer than twenty-five regular members or by resolution duly adopted by the board of directors and received by the president at least ninety days prior to the date of the annual business meeting.

Section 2. How Amended.  This Constitution may be amended by the vote of three-fourths of the regular members in good standing present and voting at the annual business meeting, provided that the text of any proposed amendment  is published in an official publication of the Association at least thirty days prior to the annual business meeting. The manner of such vote shall be as prescribed in the bylaws.

Copyright 2005, Virginia Association of Assessing Officers