What does a Town Councillor do?

Most people’s impression of what a Councillor does is just attending council meetings. This is only a small part of being a councillor. 

Councillors are elected/co-opted to represent their parishioners and be a voice for them at council meetings. They are responsible for ensuring the council has clear direction, accountability and appropriate working arrangements in place to ensure that the council fulfils its statutory obligations required by law. Councillors are elected for a 4-year term.

As a councillor you will be expected to:

• Be available and contactable and listen to the views of the people in your community and be a voice for them
• Act as an ambassador for your community, Councillors are often appointed to sit on local bodies and organisations whose work affects the whole community.  Councillors may be asked to serve on certain groups or attend functions on behalf of the council
• Attend council meetings whenever the Town Clerk summons you to attend. The main council meeting occurs monthly, usually on the last Monday of the month, extra-ordinary meetings can occur anytime and are usually called at short notice. Committee meetings usually occur as required, however depending on the needs of the committee this can sometimes be multiple times per month
• Be involved in council projects, researching and preparing documents to help the council make decisions
• Attend ceremonial functions: there will be times when Councillors are asked to attend civic functions as part of their duty to the community.  This may be remembrance services, civic dinners and attendance at public events such as the local carnival and other events through the year
• Attend training courses such as “How to be a good Councillor”, “Standards Training” or “Chairmanship Training”
• Read and understand council paperwork prior to attending meetings so that councillors can fully participate in the meeting
• Come into the office periodically to help with auditing of financial paperwork

Being a good councillor can take a lot of time so you need to be prepared to invest in this role.

How can I become a Town Councillor?

Most councillors are elected during local elections, the date for the next Town council elections will be May 2027, but sometimes seats become vacant at other times.  You are able to stand for election if you:

• Are a British or a citizen of the Commonwealth. You may also be eligible as a citizen of the European Union, however the criteria has changed now that the UK has left the European Union. Please check on the?gov.uk website for advice about EU citizens’ voting and candidacy rights?in local elections
• At least 18 years old
• Registered to vote in the area or have lived, worked, or owned property there for at least 12 months before an election

You can’t be a councillor if you:

• Work for the council you want to be a councillor for, you can work for another local authority as long as you are not in a politically restricted post
• Are the subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order
• Have been sentenced to prison for three months or more (including suspended sentences) during the five years before election day
• Have been convicted of a corrupt or illegal practice by an election court
• Are subject to any relevant notification requirements, or a relevant order, in respect of a sexual offence

How much do Councillors get paid?

Town councillors do not get paid or receive any money for their work as a councillor. Occasionally they may be reimbursed for expenses such as travel to a specific training course where this is different to the council offices. Ordinary travel to normal council meetings is not covered. Any costs associated with standing for election are paid for either by individuals or relevant political party.

Other Important Info

• Councillors cannot make decisions on their own or speak for the council whether in person or online, the council as a whole makes the decisions and publishes statements
• Councillors must complete a register of interests which is sent to and published by the Unitary Authority i.e., North Lincolnshire Council
• Councillors are expected to know and follow the 7 Nolan Principles for Standards in Public Life:

1. 1. Selflessness
   2. Integrity
   3. Objectivity
   4. Accountability
   5. Openness
   6. Honesty
   7. Leadership

Councillors will be issued with a Council email for use while serving on the Council

Councillors will need to declare any interests related to agenda items that may impact them, such as a family member’s planning application, in these cases the councillor would normally leave the meeting for this item