What does a councillor do?

Most people’s impression of what a councillor does is that they just attend council meetings. However, nothing could be further from the truth. The duties, and pleasure, of being a local councillor are many and varied. However it is the ordinary, day to day contact with local people in their own community that is the most important part of being a councillor, listening to and understanding the views of people.

How much time?

A councillor agrees to attend all meetings to which he or she is summoned. In South Tawton this is twelve, one a month. These meetings are held in the evening. However, there may be occasional meetings for some councillors who are asked to represent their Parish Council at other local government meetings or on local bodies/organisations. Councillors may be asked to attend functions on behalf of the parish council. Councillors therefore act as ambassadors for their community, keeping everyone aware of local needs and concerns and reporting back to their council. Councillors represent the voice of their community as a whole, whilst being aware of and considerate to, specific minority needs.

What skills do I need?

Through all of these functions councillors will draw on their own skills and experiences and it is the sharing of these skills that makes a strong team. Councils provide a focus for the community to identify concerns and projects and endeavour to solve them locally themselves. Councillors working as a team will need to deal with employment issues, budgeting, asset management, project management, grant funding and probably lots more if they are creative and involved. Accounts must be kept and whilst the clerk will be employed to carry out this duty, councillors together as a team are responsible for the financial decisions made and implemented. A clerk is employed to advise and seek advice on behalf of councillors to assist them in their decisions. Councillors are there to consider the information gathered and make a group decision on all matters. No individual councillor is responsible for any single decision. This is democracy at its best.

Training is available to all councils and professional training programmes are designed specifically for councillors.

All councillors are expected to abide by the Parish Councils code of conduct. This is under review and the new version will be available when the new Councils are elected in May. The responsibilities detailed in the code of conduct are designed to protect councillors as well as the people they serve and give clear guidance so that councillors may undertake their duties with confidence.

Applying to become a councillor?

Whilst relatively easy the procedure is strict and if not followed exactly, will result in disappointment and rejection for the wrong reasons! The rules are there to ensure that only those who are eligible to stand for election in your community are considered and that those put forward have agreed to stand for election. Parish Councillors are elected by the public and serve four year terms in office.

If you wish to stand as a councillor for your parish you must satisfy these requirements:

· from 3rd of May 2007 you need to be over 18 years of age
· on the Electoral Register for the council area for which you wish to stand, or for the last 12 months:
1.Have owned or rented within the parish, or
2.Lived in the parish, or within 3 miles of the parish boundary, or
3.Had your principal place of work within the parish.
· be a citizen of the European Union

You cannot stand for election if you:

· are bankrupt and an Order or Interim Restriction Order has been imposed.
· have, within five years before the day of the election, been convicted in the United Kingdom of any offence and have had a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of over three months without the option of a fine
· work for the council where you are intending to standing for election (but you can work for other local authorities, including the principal authorities that represent the same area).

The Election Procedure:

Publication of the Notice of Election.

The Chief Executive of the Borough Council is the Returning Officer and therefore has the power to call an election. Election staff in the Borough Council Elections Office have all the papers you will need and will be able to give advice and may check nomination forms. Parish Clerks are may have spares.

Completing the nomination forms

You will need to fill in all your personal details and those of the people nominating you. You (unless you haven’t one but satisfy the residency criteria above) and those nominating will be asked to fill in your Electoral Register number. This is the district code on the front of the Electoral Register i.e. A Village might be ‘SX’ then this is followed by the number that appears next to your name, or next to the name of the person nominating you. The entry in this box will therefore read something like ‘SX 413’. You must get your form completed and signed by those nominating you and it will help to copy the numbers of those nominating you when you obtain your own Electoral Register number.

Sending the nomination forms back.

It is imperative that you submit your forms in accordance with the Timetable of Proceedings. These dates were published in the last article in the Beacon in February. Failure to do so will render your application null and void!

If you have other questions, do contact your parish clerk or the Borough Council Elections Office. West Devon Borough Council main switchboard number is 01822 813600