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6 8 <br /> meetings, each member must be properly notified of the <br /> place, 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 decide. <br /> 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 <br /> emerges. <br /> 8. Votes are decided by majority. Usually only a simple majority <br /> of votes cast suffices, though the board's rules or an <br /> applicable law may sometimes require an extraordinary <br /> 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 needs <br /> and customs. The comments following the rules note when a rule <br /> is derived from procedures required by state 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 of <br /> the Board of Commissioners of Orange County, whether in-person <br /> or electronic,at which the board is empowered to exercise any of the <br /> executive, quasi-judicial, administrative, or legislative powers <br /> conferred on it by law. <br /> Comment: On the whole, rules of procedure of a governing <br /> board are intended to govern formal meetings of the board <br /> where it will exercise any of its executive and legislative <br /> powers. These rules fulfill that purpose and also are designed <br /> to ensure board compliance with the Open Meetings Law, <br /> G.S. 143-318.9 through 318.18,which applies to any gathering <br />