Governance Sketch
The ALT will be democratically governed through a system that ensures strategic actions advance our goals, and that action is continually aligned with the needs of ALT stakeholders.
The ultimate form of governance will be set in motion through the adoption of a charter, drafted at a Charter Conference by early ALT members and select thought leaders and stakeholders.
The following is a sketch of how governance could work for the ALT, as imagined by ALT founders.
Body Politic
The Body Politic (BP) is the main decision-making organ of the ALT (think the legislative branch). The BP has three houses:
- The Member Assembly, composed of token holders
- The Resident Assembly, composed of occupants of ALT homes and commercial/community spaces
- The Community Assembly, composed of neighbors, activists, and cival society figures selected by the EC or Ombuds
All three houses vote annually on programs and budgets undertaken by the Executive Council. The BP holds an Annual Conference to sketch out items that will go to vote in the coming year. Each piece of legislation must receive a Yea vote from the Member Assembly and either the Resident or Community Assembly. If a given vote directly affects Residents (e.g., the sale of an ALT residential development), the Resident Assembly has veto power.
Executive Council
The Executive Council (EC) is the administrative body of the ALT. It has five members. Each house of the BP elects one Assembly Councilor and all voters in the BP elect two At-Large Councilors. The EC manages day-to-day operations, controls the ALT’s multisig wallet, issues bounties, selects contributors, etc. The EC may call a special election if petitioned by any of the Assemblies.
The General Secretary of the EC, as elected by EC members, will chair EC meetings and co-chair the Annual Conference with the Ombuds.
Ombuds
The Resident and Community Assemblies collectively elect an Ombuds, who acts as auditor, investigator general, and mediator for all actions undertaken by the ALT or on its behalf. The Ombuds acts as a check on the EC. The Ombuds may call a special election if petitioned by one of the Assemblies. The Ombuds co-chairs the Annual Conference.
Votes
The ALT will hold an annual election to:
- Select EC members
- Select an Ombuds
- Pass an annual program agenda and budget
The Member Assembly will vote via Snapshot using quadratic voting implemented by Snapshot as of April 2024. All voters in the Member Assembly must be authenticated as an individual (using gitcoin passport or another mechanism).
The Resident and Community Assemblies may vote in any digital manner deemed fit for the purpose. The Resident Assembly will quadratically vote based on persons per household, and the Community Assembly shall use one vote per person or organization that is granted the vote.
Any Assembly may petition the EC or Ombuds to call a Special Election. Special Elections may pertain to:
- Discipline of elected officials, including recalls
- Extraordinary budget matters, especially those arising from legal judgements or taxes
- Changes to the charter
Conferences
The ALT may hold conferences of all members of all three assemblies, as well as elected officials and invited guests. These conferences, co-chaired by the EC General Secretary and the Ombuds, will help define the shape of legislation put to the Body Politic.
At least one conference must be held annually to define what will be put in the annual program and budget. Beyond Annual Conferences, Special Conferences may be called by agreement of at least two assemblies.
Ardesh
Prior to the Annual Conference, each Assembly, as well as emerging subgroups, squads, parties, etc. may hold annual visioning and strategy sessions called Ardesh.