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6 7 <br /> 3. All board members must receive proper notice of meetings. <br /> Since all members are equally entitled to participate in board <br /> meetings, each member must be properly notified of the place, <br /> time, and purpose of meetings. <br /> 4. The board may act only with a quorum. <br /> 5. There must be a question before the board on which it can de- <br /> cide. Except when electing their own officers or balloting for <br /> appointments, legislative bodies proceed by voting yes or no <br /> on specific proposals put forward by one or more members. <br /> Each member has a right to know at all times what question <br /> is before the board and what effect a yes or no vote would <br /> have on that question. <br /> 6. There must be opportunity for debate. The very nature of a <br /> deliberative body requires that members share information <br /> and opinion about matters before the board. <br /> 7. Questions must be decided by vote. Legislative bodies do not <br /> decide matters by discussing them until a consensus emerges. <br /> 8. Votes are decided by majority. Usually only a simple majority <br /> of votes cast suffices, but the board's rules or an applicable <br /> law may sometimes require an extraordinary majority. <br /> 9. There must be no fraud, trickery, or deception in the board's <br /> proceedings. <br /> 10. The board's rules of procedure must be applied consistently. <br /> Most of the following rules have been modified to suit local <br /> needs and customs. The comments following the rules note <br /> when rules state procedures required by law (North Carolina <br /> General Statutes, hereinafter cited as G.S.). <br /> I. Applicability <br /> Rule 1. Applicability of Rules. These rules apply to all meetings <br /> of the Board of Commissioners of Orange County at which the <br /> board is empowered to exercise any of the executive, quasi-judi- <br /> cial, administrative, or legislative powers conferred on it by law. <br /> Comment: On the whole,rules of procedure of a governing board <br /> are intended to govern formal meetings of the board where it <br /> will exercise any of its executive and legislative powers. These <br /> rules fulfill that purpose and also are designed to ensure board <br /> compliance with the Open Meetings Law, G.S. 143-318.9 <br /> through 318.18,which applies to any gathering of a majority of <br />