Have you ever thought about becoming a councillor? Every 5 years every Councillor must step down and be re-elected by the community. The elections usually take place on the first Thursday in May of that year.
Who can become a Community Councillor?
Well, most people can! You can become a Community Councillor if you are a citizen of the UK, EU or the Commonwealth, are over the age of 18 and if you are an elector in, work in, live in or live within 3 miles of the area of the local council. You can view full details about community council eligibility here (opens in a new tab).
However, you may not become a Community Councillor if you hold a paid office, or other place of profit in the gift of the council; have been declared bankrupt in the past 5 years and have not repaid the debt; or have been convicted of a criminal offence in the past 5 years.
There are no qualifications needed as such, but One Voice Wales (the Community & Town Councils support organisation) offers a broad list of short, mostly online training modules. These cover all aspects of the councillor’s role, including an introductory module for new councillors and sessions that cover the Code of Conduct, the Council, the Council Meeting, Law, Finance and many more.
If you are interested in becoming a councillor, or in becoming a co-opted council member, get in touch with us for a chat by email at rhossilicc@gmail.com or using the contact details on the Your Council page.
What do Community Councillors do?
A Community Councillor has a duty to act properly as a councillor and has a responsibility to:
- attend community council meetings when summoned to do so; the notice to attend a council meeting is, in law, a summons, because you have a duty to attend;
- prepare for meetings by studying the agenda and any accompanying documents and making sure you are properly informed about issues to be discussed, taking advice where appropriate;
- take part in meetings and form objective judgements based on what is best for the community – and then to abide by majority decisions;
- ensure, with other councillors, that the council is properly managed;
- act on behalf of the whole electorate equally, and not just those who supported your election campaign; similarly take an interest in all issues equally and not just those local issues for which you campaigned; listen, and then represent the views of the community when discussing council business and working with outside bodies;
- maintain proper standards of behaviour as an elected representative of the people.
“The Rhossili CC have a record of delivery and achievement – notably the recent D Day celebrations and establishment of the Rhossili Hwb – are consultative and representative of the community.
Survey reponse from Rhossili resident, 2024
Becoming a councillor through co-option
A casual vacancy can arise when a seat becomes available during the current term of the Council for a number of reasons including resignation, death, failing to attend meetings or imprisonment! Once the vacancy arises, the Clerk has to publish a Notice of casual vacancy. If there is no request for an election to take place (by at least 10 electors) within a set timescale, then the vacancy can be filled through co-option.
It’s important that co-option is fair and open to everyone eligible and Rhossili Community Councillors have agreed a process for this. Click here to read about the process and see the eligibility criteria (opens in a new tab).
Learn more
One Voice Wales provides some useful basic information about what councillors do, how much time it takes up and how to become a councillor.
Click here to read about being a councillor.
Click here to read the leaflet about how you can become a councillor.
This is a short video about what is expected of councillors and the benefits and training available, produced by One Voice Wales – Benefits of being a Councillor.
