What constitutes a quorum for a 9-member commission?

A quorum is the minimum number of members that must be present in order for a meeting to be valid and for the commission to conduct its business. For a commission with an odd number of members, such as a 9-member commission, the quorum is typically more than half of the total membership.

In this case, half of 9 is 4.5, and since we cannot have a fraction of a member, we round up to the nearest whole number, which is 5. However, for practical purposes and governance, the quorum is established as the minimum needed to ensure that decisions reflect a majority of those present. Therefore, a minimum of 5 members must be present for the commission to convene officially and take action. This ensures that there is a sufficient representation of the group to make valid decisions.

Holding a meeting with only 4 members present would not fulfil the requirement for a quorum, potentially allowing decisions to be made without adequate participation from the full commission. Thus, 5 is the correct number of members required to constitute a quorum in a 9-member commission.