Letter from Mike Miller, Democratic Central Committee Chair:

January 3, 2005

TO: Members of the Napa County Democratic Central Committee 2003-04 and Others Interested in Central Committee Membership 2005-06

FROM: Mike Miller. Chair January 2001-January 2005

I am writing to wish you all a very happy, healthy, peaceful and productive new year, and to remind you of the very important Central Committee meeting coming up Tuesday January 11.

As you probably know, by state law, and California Democratic Party and local by-laws, Committee terms begin and end at the January meeting of odd-numbered years, as do the terms of state Central Committee memberships (State Democratic Convention delegates). In order to conduct the alternate-January-reorganization meeting, County by-laws provide that the Committee's officers' terms expire at the end of the alternate January meeting.

The following County Committee seat will be filled for 2005-06 by a petition filed with the County Elections Department prior to the March 2004 primary election:

Supervisorial District 3: Lowell Stalbaum

Three other Committee memberships are filled ex officio by alternates appointed by elected officeholders. These appointees (Justine Fout for Congressman Thompson, Larry Lattman for Senator Chesbro, and Eric Knight for Assemblyperson Evans) remain through the elected term of the officeholder unless replaced by the officeholder.

Twenty-two vacancies, as listed below, may be filled by appointment by the four existing members:

Democratic Residents of Supervisorial District 1:.five seats
Democratic Residents of Supervisorial District 2:.five seats
Democratic Residents of Supervisorial District 3:.three seats
Democratic Residents of Supervisorial District 4:.five seats
Democratic Residents of Supervisorial District 5:.four seats

The typical selection process, re-endorsed by the Central Committee in December 2004, is to encourage all interested in Central Committee membership to attend the January 11 meeting, and express formal interest in membership. Each interested person will be asked to speak to the voting members for one minute. If no more seats in any particular District are applied for than are vacant, the members will fill any they choose to for that District by consensus. If more seats in a District are applied for than are vacant, the members will fill seats only in other Districts. In this instance, the Chair or Vice-Chair will administer the Oath of Office to the newly appointed members, who will (along with the four previous members) then select members for the contested District seats. Persons receiving the most votes are appointed to Committee memberships and will take the Oath of Office.

Once members have been selected as described (SOME SEATS MAY REMAIN VACANT), members will select the Committee's four officers (Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) and eight State Delegates. As current Chair, I am responsible for conducting the membership and delegate selection process and officer elections. In true democratic tradition, any contested seats and officerships will be filled by secret ballot. The other By-Law prerequisite for voting (payment of dues) will not be necessary until the February Committee meeting.

I urge you all to continue to participate in organized Democratic Party activities in Napa County, with important 2006 elections coming up for all state offices (both executive and legislative) and US Congress. If you are unable to attend on January 11, but wish to join the Committee, you may contact me beforehand and provide a written statement for me to distribute at the meeting in lieu of your oral statement, or you may seek to fill a vacancy in your District if one remains after this meeting.

Please feel free to contact me before the meeting [6:30 PM, Tuesday January 11, Napa County Transportation Agency Conference Room, 707 Randolph St. (Conference Room Door opens on 4th Street)] to discuss any of your concerns. I prefer e-mail mikemdem@yahoo.com , and can also be reached by telephone at 257-7165.

Sincerely,

Mike Miller