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Herefordshire Association of Local Councils

What Does Being a Councillor Involve?

A councillor is a member of a parish or town council and is normally elected for a term of four years at each election. Sometimes councillors are elected at a by-election or by co-option during the four year period.

Most town and parish councillors are a range of men and women of all ages. Their political views do not normally extend into their local council work. What parish and town councillors do all have in common is an active interest in their local community and a concern for promoting the best interests of it.

Councillors have 3 main components to their work:

  1. Decision making – through meetings and attending committees with other elected members, councillors decide which activities to support, where money should be spent, what services should be delivered and what policies should be implemented.
  2. Monitoring - councillors make sure that their decisions lead to efficient and effective services by keeping an eye on how well things are working.
  3. Getting involved locally – as local representatives, councillors have responsibilities towards their constituents and local organisations. These responsibilities and duties often depend on what the councillor wants to achieve and how much time is available, and may include:
    • Going to meetings of local organisations such as tenants' associations.
    • Going to meetings of bodies affecting the wider community.
    • Taking up issues on behalf of members of the public.
    • Running a surgery for residents to bring up issues.
    • Meeting with individual residents in their own homes.

The council clerk will advise councillors on their work.

How much time does it take up?
Quite often councillors say that their duties occupy them for about 3 hours a week. Obviously there are some councillors who spend more time than this. Generally speaking, the larger the number of electors, the larger a Council's workload will be. Most parish and town councils normally meet during the evening and unless your take on the role of Chairman or Vice-Chairman, your workload should not involve more than 1 or 2 evenings per month.

Will being a councillor cost me anything?
Being a councillor should cost you very little. There are usually subsistence and travel allowances if your duties take you out of the area of responsibility of your Council. Details of these allowances will be determined by the council, but must be within a maximum laid down by the government.

For further information and ideas please see the document from NALC below: