Section 55701 - Organization; failure to organize(a) The board of commissioners shall organize on the first Monday of January of each even-numbered year. If the first Monday is a legal holiday the meeting shall be held the following day. The board of commissioners shall assemble for the organization meeting at their place of meeting at a time convenient to the governing body.(b) At the organization meeting, the board shall elect one member as president and one as vice-president, who, as long as they continue to be commissioners, shall hold office until their successors are elected and qualified. The president, or, in the president's absence, the vice-president, shall preside at all meetings of the board, and perform other duties as are specified in this act or which may be prescribed by ordinance. If a majority of the board of commissioners do not attend the organization meeting, those present may adjourn the meeting from day to day until a majority attend.
(c) If the board of commissioners of a township fails to organize within ten days from the time prescribed by this section, the court of common pleas, upon the petition of at least ten registered electors, verified by the affidavit of one of the petitioners, shall issue a rule upon the delinquent commissioners to show cause why their seats should not be declared vacant. The rule shall be returnable not less than five days from the time of its issue, and after hearing, the court may declare the seats of the members of the board responsible for the failure to organize vacant, and shall appoint others in their place to hold office for the respective unexpired terms.(d) The organization meeting under this section may be considered a regular monthly meeting for the transaction of business that may come before the board of commissioners. The first order of business at this meeting shall be organization of the board. The board of commissioners may, at the organization meeting, appoint other officers as may be provided for by law or ordinance, or as may be deemed necessary for the conduct of affairs of the township.1931, June 24, P.L. 1206, art. VII, § 701. Amended 1935, July 18, P.L. 1312, § 1; 1949, May 27, P.L. 1955, § 21; 1957, March 26, P.L. 15, § 1; 1968, May 29, P.L. 131, No. 69, § 1; 1991, Dec. 20, P.L. 402, No. 47, § 1, imd. effective; 2020, Oct. 29, P.L. 782, No. 96, § 35, effective in 60 days [Dec. 28, 2020].