Interested in Becoming a Councillor?

Role and Expectation of Councillors

Although Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council will cease to exist on 31st March 2008, for ease of reference, information has been published here based on previous experience for Borough Councillors.

Councillors are elected to serve as advocates for their communities. They ensure that their needs and issues which impact on them are addressed by the Council. The normal period of election is four years.

Councillors are elected for individual wards (geographical areas) of the Borough. This ward role is at the heart of the local community and this is a core role for a Borough Councillor.  The second aspect of elected members' core role is that of strategic participation in the affairs of the Borough.  In exercising these responsibilities members have to balance the needs and concerns of the whole of the Council's area and between areas of competing needs in the interests of the whole Borough.

The Council has streamlined its decision-making process. However Non-Cabinet Members can expect to be a member of at least one main Committee and may also serve on Sub-Committees.

The Council expects all Councillors to take steps to keep in touch with their communities. It is assumed that they will, at least on an annual basis:

• attend parish council meetings (within the rural area)
• attend residents' or local community meetings
• attend training events

They are expected to deal with correspondence and meetings face to face with constituents and deal with telephone calls, etc. taking up issues (on behalf of constituents) with officers. The demands on members locally often involves evenings and weekends.

Councillors are likely to be asked to serve on local bodies, charities and other locally based organisations.

Would you consider standing for election as a Councillor?

Do you have what it takes to lead your local community?

• You don't have to belong to a political party to stand for election, many people do but many also stand as  Independent Candidates.
• Unlike the case at parliamentary elections, candidates don't have to pay a deposit before they can stand for election.
• The only qualifications needed, apart from living, owning property or working in the area and being over 18, are 'common sense' and 'a desire to serve the local community'.
• The majority of the Council's meetings are held in the evening and Councillors for Shrewsbury and Atcham get a basic yearly allowance of approximately £6,500 per annum to compensate them for the time and expense involved in working on Council duties.

Information Evenings:-

To make it as straightforward as possible to stand as a Candidate, just before each scheduled election, the Electoral Commission produces comprehensive Guides to help both candidates and agents understand the stages involved in standing at elections. 

The Council usually holds an Open Evening shortly before the nomination period begins.  These evenings are aimed primarily at Candidates and Agents, and provide important information on completing your Nomination Papers and the election timetable. 

Time and Money

The Widdicombe Committee Report (1986) lent support to the idea that Councillor's time and inputs were equivalent to that of those who served on other public bodies such as TEC's and NHS Trusts. Elected Councillors carry substantial statutory responsibilities for the delivery of public services comparable to those exercised by members of quangos and other public agencies.

There is no fixed time that Councillors are expected to spend on Council duties, but from evidence presented Shrewsbury and Atcham Councillors spend the equivalent of up to 31.2 hours per week on council duties. The work includes dealing with problems, generating community interest and action and representation on local bodies, non-council committees, charities, attending parish councils and residents' meetings.

Many of these activities take place in the evening and problems do not necessarily arise during working hours. It must also be said that being a Councillor does to some extent impact on family life and an individual's career, and can involve work during unsocial hours. In Shrewsbury and Atcham for example, the vast majority of council meetings are held during the evening.

Councillors for Shrewsbury and Atcham get a basic yearly allowance of approximately £6,500 per annum to compensate them for the time and expense involved in working on council duties. This basic allowance is increased for Leaders, Committee Chairmen and Members with special responsibilities.

Checklist

To stand for election as a Borough Councillor, you must be:

• 18 years of age or over on the day of the election;
• A Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a citizen of another Member State of the European Community

In addition, you must be able to answer "Yes" to one or more of the following questions and supply information in support thereof:

• Are you registered as a local government elector for Shrewsbury and Atcham?
• Have you during the whole of the previous twelve month period occupied as owner or tenant, land or premises within the Council's area?
• Was your principal or only place of work during those twelve months within the Council's area?
• Have you during the whole of those twelve months resided in the Council's area?

You will also need to make a declaration that you are not otherwise disqualified from being elected as a member of a local authority.

Disqualification from Election and from Holding Office as a Councillor

A person shall be disqualified for being elected or being a member of a local authority if he/she:

• Holds any paid employment with or confirmed by the local authority in question; or
• Is a person who has been adjudged bankrupt, or made a composition or arrangement with his creditors; or
• Has within five years before the date of the election or since his/her election been convicted of any offence and has had passed on him/her a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of not less than three months without option of a fine; or
• Has been disqualified for having been found guilty of a failure to comply with the Code of Conduct for Local Authority Members; or
• Is employed by a local authority in a politically restricted post, within the meaning of Part 1 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.

Note:

• Teachers in a school maintained but not established by a local education authority shall be in the same position as teachers in a school established by the authority. Teachers so disqualified are thus debarred from seeking election to the Shropshire County Council (the local education authority) but not from seeking election to Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council.
• Full details in relation to 'disqualification' are set out in Section 80 of the Local Government Act 1972.

How Elections are advertised and When and How Vacancies are Filled?

The calling of the election is usually published in the local press and at Council Offices not less than 25 days before the day of the poll, at which time prospective Candidates may apply for a Nomination Pack from the Council's Election Office.

Prospective Candidates should telephone (01743) 251000, stating the particular Parish(es) or Division(s) in which the election is to be held.