a. A community action agency shall establish a community action board to administer the agency and its functions. The agency shall promulgate bylaws which shall include the number of members to be appointed to the board, the length of each term, and the methods by which the board members shall be appointed. At least one-third of the board members shall be elected officials, including chief elected officials, or their designees. When the number of elected officials available and willing to serve equals less than one-third of the membership, appointed public officials may be appointed to meet the requirements. At least one-third of the board members shall be low-income persons appointed by democratic selection procedures. The remainder of the board shall be officials or members of business, industry, labor, religious, welfare, education groups or other community-interest groups. Any board member appointed to serve and represent a specific geographic area shall be a resident of that area. Any vacancy in a board position shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

b. The agency may establish a subsidiary board, council or similar entity to be responsible for budget determinations for community action programs serving certain geographic areas and the members appointed to any such entity shall represent the various community interests of that geographic area.

L.1991,c.51,s.4.