Article 2 - Members of the Council
Back to Constitution Contents webpage
2.01 Composition and Eligibility
(a) Composition
The Council consists of 43 Members (otherwise
called Councillors). One or more Members will be elected by
the voters of each ward in accordance with a scheme drawn up by the
Local Government Commission and approved by the Secretary of
State.
(b) Eligibility
Only registered local government electors of
the Borough, or those living, working, occupying land as an owner
or a tenant will be eligible to hold the office of Councillor.
2.02 Election and Terms of Councillors
Election and Terms. The regular
election of Councillors will be held on the first Thursday in May
every four years. The current Council was elected in May 2011
and the next election will be in May 2015. The terms of
office of Councillors will be four years starting on the fourth day
after being elected and will finish on the fourth day after the
date of the next regular election four years later.
2.03 Roles and Functions of all Councillors
(a) Key Roles. All Councillors will:
(i) collectively be the ultimate
policy-makers and carry out a number of strategic and corporate
management functions;
(ii) contribute to the good governance
of the area and actively encourage community participation and
citizen involvement in decision making;
(iii) effectively represent the
interests of their ward and of individual constituents;
(iv) respond to constituents’
enquiries and representations, fairly and impartially;
(v) participate in the governance and
management of the Council; and
(vi) maintain the highest standards of
conduct and ethics.
(b) Rights and Duties
Councillors:
(i) will have such rights of access to
such documents, information, land and buildings of the Council as
are necessary for the proper discharge of their functions and in
accordance with the law; (A copy of the ‘Rights of Access to
Meetings and Documents by Councillors’ is contained in
Appendix 3 to the ‘Access to Information
Procedure Rules’ as contained in Part 4 of this Constitution)
and
(ii) will not make public, information
which is exempt or confidential or without the consent of the
Council or divulge information given in confidence to anyone other
than a Councillor or Officer entitled to know it.
For these purposes, "exempt" and "confidential"
information are defined in the Access to Information Procedure
Rules as contained in Part 4 of this Constitution.
2.04 Conduct
Councillors will at all times observe the Members’ Code of
Conduct and the Protocol on Member/Officer Relations as contained
in Part 5 of this
Constitution.
2.05 Allowances
Councillors will be entitled to receive allowances in accordance
with the Members’ Allowances Scheme as contained in Part 6 of this Constitution.
Next - Article 3 - Citizens and the Council
This webpage was updated on
5/13/2011