THE CONSTITUTION OF THE NORTH CAROLINA PROPERTY MAPPERS ASSOCIATION

The name of this organization shall be the North Carolina Property Mappers’ Association.  Its purpose is to bring together those persons concerned with property mapping, land records management and Geographic Information Systems in state and local governments without regard to the unit of government or department in which such persons perform their duties.

ARTICLE I - Objectives

Section 1.           To create a framework in which the cities and counties of North Carolina may cooperate in the improvements in property mapping, land records management, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Section 2.           To provide a forum in which officials of various agencies of state and local government concerned with property mapping, land records management and Geographic Information Systems may discuss common problems.

Section 3.           To provide a means whereby property mappers and other persons interested in property mapping may interchange ideas and experiences and obtain advice.

Section 4.           To advance property mapping, land records management and Geographic Information Systems knowledge and practice through education.

Section 5.           To encourage a high standard of professionalism as a means to more effectively serve the public.

Section 6.           To work toward the improvement of the technical quality of property maps and geographic information available to local governments.

Section 7.           To support legislation beneficial to property mapping and land records management and modernization.

ARTICLE II - Membership

Section 1.           Regular Members:  Mappers, Mapping Supervisors, GIS personnel and department heads in charge of mapping, employed by county and city government units shall be entitled to regular membership.

Section 2.           Associate Members:  Persons not eligible for regular membership but who are actively involved in land records management.

Section 3.           Subscribing Members:  Manager-level individuals and marketing representatives of non-governmental firms committed to the advancement and modernization of land records.

Section 4.           Rejections:  The right to reject any application for other than regular members exclusively.

Section 5.           Advisory Members:  The Policy Manual shall establish certain positions or roles with state or other agencies that advise property mappers which shall be designated as Advisory Members.  Those employees who hold such positions shall be Advisory Members so long as they are employed in those positions or roles.  Advisory Members shall serve as non-voting members of the Executive Committee.

Section 6.           Lifetime Members:  Lifetime Memberships may be awarded to individuals in recognition of their contributions to the Association. The criteria and procedure for awarding such memberships shall be established in the Policy Manual.  Lifetime Members shall be entitled to the rights and privileges of the highest level of membership for which they are eligible, without any requirement to pay annual dues.

Section 7.           Voting Rights:  The right to hold office and vote is reserved to Regular Members exclusively.  Votes by proxy shall be accepted.

Section 8.           Transfer of membership:  Whenever the dues of a member are paid by the employer and he or she resigns, retires or otherwise vacates the position during the period for which the dues have been paid, the membership may be transferred to the successor upon receipt of written notice to the Association by said employer.

ARTICLE III - Officers

Section 1.           Selection:  At each annual meeting there shall be elected for a term of one (1) year, by the regular members in good standing who are present in person or by proxy, a President, a President-Elect, a Vice President, and a Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 2.           Executive Committee Members:  The voting members of the Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the Immediate Past President, the President-Elect, the Vice-President, and the Secretary-Treasurer.  The President shall be the Chair of the Executive Committee and may call the committee together in the interest of the Association at their discretion or upon written request of three voting committee members in good standing.  Advisory Members as established by the Policy Manual shall be non-voting members of the Executive Committee.

Section 3.           Term of Office:  Terms of Executive Officers elected at the annual Fall Conference shall run from December 1 – November 30.

Section 4.           Officer Vacancy:  Should a vacancy occur, it will be at the discretion of the Executive Committee to appoint a replacement unless otherwise prescribed in this document.

ARTICLE IV - Duties of Officers

Section 1.           President:  The President shall be the Chair and preside at all general Association meetings and Executive Committee meetings or designate the President-Elect, the Vice-President or other regular member in good standing.  The President and President-Elect shall jointly appoint Chairs for any Committees unless otherwise designated in this Constitution as they may deem necessary.

Section 2.           President-Elect:  The President-Elect shall share the duties and responsibilities as outlined by the President.  The President-Elect shall exercise all the powers and duties of the President during their absence or inability to act, shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Committee and shall also act as coordinator of the standing committees. The President-Elect shall chair the Membership Committee and keep a roll of all members of the Association which shall be turned over to their immediate successor in office.

Section 3.           Vice-President:  The Vice-President shall exercise all the powers of the President during the absence or inability to act of both the President and President-Elect and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Committee.  The Vice-President shall be the chair of the Education Committee which shall make such determination as to the educational needs of the Association.

Section 4.           Secretary-Treasurer:  The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the chief financial agent of the Association and shall exercise such authority and perform such duties as may be prescribed by the Executive Committee.  The Secretary-Treasurer shall have custody of all funds, securities and legal instruments of the Association and shall be responsible for their safekeeping.  Subject to the approval of the Executive Committee, the Secretary-Treasurer shall determine the place and manner for depositing and safekeeping of such funds, securities and legal instruments.  A correct account of all receipts and disbursements must be kept and a complete up-to-date report submitted at each annual meeting.  The Executive Committee shall have full right to examine and/or cause an audit to be made annually. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a true up-to-date record of all proceedings (minutes) of the Association and meetings of the Executive Committee. All records shall be turned over to their immediate successor in office.

Section 5.           Past President:  The Immediate Past President shall serve as a member of the Executive Committee during the year following their Presidency without need for election to that position. Should the Immediate Past President be unable or unwilling to serve, the next previous President who is willing and able to serve shall fill the vacancy. The Past President shall chair the Nominating Committee and serve on the Certification and Legacy Committees as a voting member and liaison to the Executive Committee from those bodies. 

ARTICLE V - Nominations and Elections

Section 1.     Nominations and Elections :  The Past President shall chair a Nominating Committee consisting of no more than three (3) regular members in good standing who shall select one name from the Regular Members, in good standing, as a candidate for each office and make the necessary report at each annual meeting.

Section 2.     Additional nominations may be made from the floor at any annual meeting by any Regular Member in good standing.

Section 3.     Officers shall be elected by majority vote, including votes by proxy, at the annual meeting.

Section 4.     Voting by Proxy:  A Regular Member in good standing who will not be attending the annual meeting may vote by proxy.  Validation and approval of the manner of a vote by proxy shall be made by the Executive Committee prior to the meeting.

ARTICLE VI - Meetings

Section 1.     The Association shall hold its annual General Meeting at which time the election and installation of officers shall take place.  The Executive Committee shall have authority to call special meetings at such time as it deems necessary.

Section 2.     All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for its review no later than 60 days in advance of the annual meeting.

ARTICLE VII - Amendments

Section 1.     This constitution may be amended by a majority vote of Regular Members in good standing present and voting at the annual meeting, provided that notice and a copy of any proposed amendment shall have been sent to all regular members by mail and/or email, not less than thirty (30) days prior to such meeting.

Section 2.     All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Executive Committee for its review no later than 60 days in advance of the annual meeting.

ARTICLE VIII - Committees

Section 1.     Legacy Committee

A.  Composition:  There shall be a Legacy Committee composed of the current Past President and any prior Past Presidents who are willing and able to serve.

B.  General Purposes:  The Legacy Committee shall be empowered to interpret the applicability or intent of any part of this Constitution and to suggest revisions to the Constitution or policies for the long-term betterment and preservation of the Association.

C.  Chair and Liaison:  The Legacy Committee shall elect from its membership a chair to preside and coordinate the activities of the Committee.  The current Past President shall not be the chair, but shall instead serve as the Committee's liaison to the Executive Committee.

Section 2.     Certification Committee:  There shall be a Certification Committee consisting of the current Past President and six other members appointed for three (3) year terms as directed in the Certification Policy. The Committee shall elect from among its membership, a Chair who must hold the highest level of certification administered by the Committee.

Section 3.     Education Committee: The Education Committee shall be chaired by the Vice-President. The duties and responsibilities of the committee shall be to plan, coordinate and supervise schools, seminars and conferences unless otherwise delegated. The Vice-President shall appoint the Education Committee from the general membership in good standing to assist with the educational offerings of the Association.

Section 4.     Membership Committee: The Membership Committee shall be chaired by the President-Elect. The duties and responsibilities of the committee shall be to conduct an annual campaign for membership renewals and to recruit new members. The President-Elect shall appoint the Membership Committee from the general membership in good standing to assist with these efforts.

Section 5.     Other Standing Committees:  Standing Committees not established in this Constitution shall have their scope and purpose defined in the Policy Manual.

Section 6.     Ad-Hoc Committees:  The President may establish Ad-Hoc Committees which shall expire unless renewed by the subsequent President.

Adopted as amended, December 16, 2021 at the Annual Business Meeting held during NCPMA Fall Conference in Cary NC.