This document came in via email:
MEMORANDUM
FROM: Kevin Coughlin
TO: New Summit Republican Working Group
DATE: November 17, 2007
This is a draft document for your review and suggestions. Below are suggested changes to the Summit County Republican Party’s by-laws and or policy statements. Each are designed to create transparency, accountability, and clean operation of the party to ensure a strong two-party system.
Please review and contact me with your thoughts. After January 4th, we will
meet either at the office or by conference call to discuss further.
Tight Fiscal Accountability
• We will conduct a full independent audit of all party funds and make the
results public.
• All expenditures over $250 must be approved by majority of a Board of Control, consisting of three members selected by the Central Committee.
• Records of all party finances including bank statements, credit cards statements, receipts, accounting books etc. will be made available to any member of the Central Committee, Executive Committee, contributor, or officeholder upon request.
• All loans made to the party must be backed up by bank documentation proving the loan was made.
• The party will take no commercial loans.
• The party will not pay interest in loans made to it.
• The party shall not maintain a credit card. All party-related expenses incurred by employees of the party will be reimbursed subject to approval of the Board of Control
Clean Leadership
• The chairman of the Summit County Republican Party may not be a lobbyist.
• The chairman of the Summit County Republican Party may not use the position for personal financial gain and may not be owner, partner, or a shareholder in any entity that receives business from the Party or it's endorsed candidates.
• The party leadership, Republican officeholders, candidates, and developing candidates will be encouraged to become active in community organizations and to be a positive force in the community.
More Participation, More Inclusiveness
• We will change the party rules to allow the whole duly-elected Central Committee to elect the party chairman.
Currently, this is power is ceded to the Executive Committee, a small group
of people hand-selected by Alex Arshinkoff.
• All judicial candidates will be screened by a Judicial Screening Committee, selected by the Central Committee. The Judicial Screening will be comprised of attorneys and may grant approval to candidates. Only approved candidates may be endorsed by the Summit County Republican Party.
• The Summit County Republican Party will not endorse candidates in primary elections, unless an incumbent officeholder is challenged. In that case, a majority vote of the duly elected Central Committee is needed to endorse.
• We will encourage the creation of more Republican clubs and organizations throughout the county in order to strengthen the grassroots organization and develop candidates.
Better Service for Candidates and Officeholders
• We will spend more money on election campaigns and less on operational overhead. The current $600,000 allotted is outrageous.
• We will make available one-stop shop campaign services and consulting to all Republican candidates competing in general elections.
• We will provide legal counsel as it relates to Ohio Election Law, Ohio Campaign Finance Law, Ohio Ethics Law to all candidates and officeholders.
• Party activists will be treated with respect, dignity, and appreciation for all they have done to build the party.
• No candidate, officeholder, patronage employee, or party activist will be asked, coerced, or forced, to violate any laws of the State of Ohio or the United States.
This document is a work-in-progress. Please feel free to call me at (330) 940-3260 to discuss further or to add your suggestions.
