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BOOK 42 PAGt 599 INTRODUCTION These rules of procedure were designed for use by a North Carolina board of county commissioners. Essentially, the rules are a modified version of Robert's Rules of Order, Revised. Robert's Rules is intended to guide the deliberations of a large legislative body; consequently, it is not always appropriate for a small governing board, which can afford to proceed with much les formality. Another valuable resource consulted for this revision of the rules was Mason's Manual of Legislative Procedure. Mason's Manual is intended primarily for state legislatures, but its extensive discussion of the basic principles of parliamentary law and procedure is valuable for local governing boards as well. The North Carolina law (G.S. 153A-41) permits a board of county commissioners to adopt its own rules of procedure if these conform to "generally accepted principles of parliamentary procedure" and do not conflict with applicable law. Mason's Manual suggests that parliamentary law affecting the work of a board of county commissioners can be summarized in ten basic principles: 1. The board can take only those actions that it has authority or jurisdiction to take. A corollary of this principle is that the board's action, to be valid, must not violate any applicable law or constitutional provision. This is simply another manifestation of the familiar legal doctrine that a unit of local government has only those powers conferred on it by law or necessarily implied from some specific grant of power. 2. The board must meet in order to act. Under North Carolina law, the powers conferred on the county governing board are exercised by the county board of commissioners as a group, not by its individual members. Therefore, the group must meet in order to act. 3. All board members must receive proper notice of meetings. Since all members are equally entitled to participate in board meetings, each member must be properly notified of the place, time, and purpose of meetings. 4. The board may act only with a quorum. 5. There must be a question before the board on which it can decide. Except when electing their own officers or balloting for appointments, legislative bodies proceed by voting yes or no on specific proposals put forward by one or more members. Each member has the right to know at all times what question is before the board and what effect a yes or no vote would have on that question.