WNY,
From my previous experiences as a local republican party committee person, I'll throw in a few words.
There are very specific laws, but in general you are correct. The President, VP, Treasurer, and Secretary are the primary people involved. Keep in mind that a decision cannot be legally made without a quorum. Larger political parties typically accept two people per political district as representatives. A "town" would probably have 6 districts and 12 reps, including the Pres, VP, etc. Therefore, in theory, it should be impossible for them to form a quorum without additional support, but I'm not sure how it works in reality when you are dealing with third-parties. The Independence party might only have a total of 15 members registered within the entire town, so getting 12 of them to serve on the committee seems unlikely. You would probably need to study each committee on a case-by-case basis.1. What is the core group (team) that makes up a small political party.
I assume a Chairman, treasurer, secretary etc..
In a perfect world you would be correct. If the committee cannot produce a viable candidate the next goal is to live to see the next election. Remember, they might endorse a candidate but not give that guy/gal one single dollar. In the eyes of the committee it is better to save your bankroll if you stand a serious chance of losing. Sacrificial lambs are rewarded with positions within the committee/town/county.2. Wouldn't thier goal be to replace the opposing parties candidates with people they believe would be better from the IP party? versus just questionably endorsing other party candidates?
100% absolutely. The quickest way to get yourself in trouble is to play fast and loose with money. Every committee meeting I've ever attended started off with a ledger detail from the treasurer. A good treasurer has a handle on every penny.5. Would all fundraisers be properly recorded so at any time a party member would say "hey, lets see what ledger looks like" they could produce it almost at a moments notice? No fudging or questionable entries? isn't that type of stuff public record reciepts and all?
Tyranny of the majority my friend. Those within the party hold a democratic election.7. Who picks the person who leads the IP party group? If it's not a who then how?
I've never seen a direct payment to a committee chair/president. Furthermore, everyone on the committee was a "volunteer". I put "quotes" around volunteer because we all knew that serving on the committee was considered a position of power. How you used that power was undefined, but it was definately present. Most people chose to use that power to pursue political positions that would have been unattainable without a committee recommendation (i.e. zoning, planning, town board).8. Is there a stipend for the IP party leader or is it a volunteer position?
Probably not. From my perspective, the most advantageous position that a third-party committee can expect is that of "agitator". The Niagara county conservative party is a classic example.9. Could the IP leader form a group of people who are qualified to make western ny the powerhouse it used to be versus sucking ass to the other two political parties to see what patronage they may get?
Keep them coming. These committees that you are questioning are a structural problem for this area. They are the places where future policians are being formed. If you want to see who the ruling elite will be in 10 years just take a look at your local committee members. It's the farm-league of politics.10. I'll have more questions later...