Notes from Laura on the voting at the re-org meeting

No Board members voted against agenda item I in an attempt to stop payroll from issuing paychecks on 1/15/24.

When the motion to vote was made for resolution I, Board members had an issue with how Agenda Item I was worded. They did NOT have an issue with paying BHPS staff. The wording of resolution I was not aligned with our Board Policy. The concern of several Board members was if they voted to approve the motion, as written, they would be directly violating district policy. Board members presented this concern, saying the plan was to amend the language and re-introduce the motion with amended wording. This amendment did not occur, because the motion passed by a majority vote.

No Board members intentionally voted against adopting their own Code of Ethics.

There was some misunderstanding about how the vote was happening, specifically about the wording of some resolutions lumped in with adopting the Code of Ethics.

When a motion is made, per Roberts Rules of Order, a vote must immediately follow. Board Members were told to vote “aye” or “nay” for the entire category of motions, which included several resolutions, some of which members had concerns with how they were written. This means that if a Board member had an issue with one resolution, they were left with voting it down. Once Board members received information from the Board Attorney and acting Presiding officer that they could, in fact, vote “aye” for specific resolutions while voting “nay” to others, the entire list of resolutions went back to a vote.