Become a councillor

All councils are led by democratically elected councillors. They set the vision and direction of the council and represent their local community.

The councillor’s role centres around community leadership and engagement, their responsibilities include:

• Representing the ward for which they are elected
• Decision-making – developing and reviewing council policy
• Scrutinising decisions taken by the councillors on the cabinet
• Regulatory, quasi-judicial and statutory duties

Councillors are elected to represent their local community, so they must either live or work in the area.

What you need to know

Find out what a councillor does, how much time you need to commit to, how much you will be paid, how to get involved, and a lot more on the Be a councillor website.