Coop Board President Power

There was a case which I thought was Scianna vs Glass House Cooperative but I can't find the citation.

Coop board president has the power to set an agenda for the board meeting and will typically make small decisions. The board president has the same votes in the board as every one else. Hence, no additional power. If you are a board member and the president tries to bully you, I suggest you ask in the board meeting that "Do you realize that as a President he has no extra vote" and if he does it again, just call for a vote and tell him to xxxx off. When it comes to electing board members, Board President has no power. He/She can vote their shares.

Some people really need to exist in the real world.
Setting the agenda covers everything except a well organized palace coup.

Board president chairs meetings and signs paperwork. No he cannot "boss" other board members around. He's an elected officer, not the king.

Chair the meeting. Set the agenda. Wrangle votes. Give favors. Withhold benefits. Control communication with outsiders.

This just shows you how absurd co-ops are. Why in the world would you ever invest in a co-op vs a condo?? It's not even real property

I agree - board presidents are definitely not the 'king' in terms of job description but in some cases they may not be aware of the limitations of their role... =P

I think it depends a lot on the board! Think of it like any team you work with - some people have power based on role / authority. Others have it based on personality and determination.

Each buildings bylaws will be a bit different for the role / authority piece, but ultimately, the board votes as a whole on issues and shareholders elect the board. Formally, the president can usually only impact the agenda. He or she should not be allowed to "boss around" other members. However, most presidents are persuasive people and do lead the meeting. So they hold a ton of persuasive power in how they frame topics for discussion ("lets quickly vote to do the right thing. All in favor? vs. lets add it to the agenda for the next meeting and gather feedback before our next discussion").

It isn't easy being on the board or being president, and it usually isn't paid, so find ways to work with them, and if they become tyranical, get a majority to vote him/her out or stay out of his or her way. As a board member, I can say we are residents too and generally are aligned, but sometimes difficult decisions have to be made (i.e. raising maintenance). It isn't any easier when residents with strong opinions (but not a complete set of facts) want to second guess everything that is done without putting their own time in to learn the details and manage the process or project.