It’s board of directors election time again.
The terms of four of the seven members of the Sun City board of directors expire at the end of 2017. According to the association bylaws, directors Linda Davis and Bonnie Bayser have served the maximum number of terms and must retire. Bob Wainscott was appointed to the board at the beginning of this year and is eligible to seek two more terms. Steve Bytnar was elected last year to a one-year term and is eligible to run for two more terms.
Article 3.5 of the Bylaws states: “Each director shall hold office until his term expires or until his successor shall have been elected and qualified. Directors may succeed themselves in office, but no director shall serve more than three terms.”
A term is defined as two years, except when a board member is appointed by the board to fill a vacancy, as Wainscott was. Board members are permitted to serve a maximum of three consecutive terms, or six years.
Holdover board members whose terms do not expire this year are Robert McGouey, Marilynn Berendt, and current Board President Dennis O’Leary.
Candidate application packets are available at the Prairie Lodge member services desk until July 17. Completed packets must be submitted by 4 p.m. that same day.
If there are more than four candidates for the four open positions, residents will vote by mail ballot this fall. If there are only the same or a fewer number of candidates compared to vacancies (an uncontested election), the candidates will be elected by acclamation of current board members at a meeting prior to the end of the year, according to the bylaws.
All of this means there will be at least two new board members taking office on January 1, 2018, and possibly three or four.
Important dates in the election process include a candidate meet and greet event at Prairie Lodge on August 7, 6-8 p.m., and a candidate question-answer forum on September 11, 7 p.m.
The overall election process is coordinated and supervised by the Election Advisory Committee, chaired by Gene Harrison. Members are Bill Berendt, Judy Frazier, Gail Patterson, and Helene Weston.
