The role of any County Councillor has a number of different responsibilities: those of a leader, of a representative, and of a learner – and as a lynchpin of their local area.
As a leader
- To lead and represent the interests of the local community, its environment and its constituents;
- To engage with locally interested parties and involve and consult them on key council decisions;
- To promote and support citizenship locally and empower the community to participate in the governance of the area;
- To undertake case work for constituents and act as an advocate in resolving concerns or grievances;
- To communicate with local people and answer enquiries:
- about decisions that affect them
- about opportunities in the community
- regarding the rights of constituents
- as to why decisions are taken
In their locality
- To participate constructively in the good governance of the area;
- To use influence to develop links between groups, communities and the locality;
- To forge local partnerships to ensure resources are used to meet the needs of the area;
- To act as an informal local scrutineer – maintaining a single ‘overview’ role
As a representative
- To fulfil the legal and local requirements placed on a councillor in accordance with the Code of Conduct;
- To inform debate at full council meetings and contribute to the effectiveness of the council meeting as the focus of visible leadership;
- To participate in the setting of strategic policies;
- To contribute to the formation and scrutiny of the council’s policies, budget, strategies and service delivery;
- To ensure good governance and accountability compliance;
- To contribute toward scrutiny of decision-making and monitoring of services;
- To represent the council to the community and the community to the council;
- To develop and maintain knowledge of how the council works and develop working relationships with its officers;
- To represent the council on outside bodies as and where appropriate.
As a learner
- To be responsible for personal development and undergo appropriate development and continuous improvement for any role undertaken