Moray Councillors serve a four-year term.
If you are elected at a by-election, you serve until the next scheduled Council elections.
How much of my time will it all take up?
According to the commitments you take on, this can vary from a few hours each week to several hours each day. In 1993, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that:
The single most important reason given by the majority of Councillors for not seeking re-election was the excessive time commitment required of public service. This is also widely recognised as the greatest possible deterrent to potential Councillors.
However, this same survey did find that time spent had fallen from the peak recorded in 1976 and the Government believes that the modernisation agenda will lead to most Councillors spending less time in committee meetings.
The Audit Commission previously quoted research that estimated an average commitment of 74 hours per month, stressing that this covered a wide range of different individual workloads.
Councillor time was found to be divided up as follows:
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How Councillors divide up their time :
|
|
|
Public consultations |
3.0% |
|
Party meetings |
7.0% |
|
Travel to meetings |
9.0% |
|
External bodies |
11.0% |
|
Electors problems |
18.0% |
|
Preparation for meetings |
24.0% |
|
Committee meetings |
28.0% |
You will of course need to attend meetings at Council Headquarters in Elgin. Most of these are held during the working day and so, if you are working, you will need an understanding employer.
Many Councillors represent the Council on one or more outside bodies. For most of the meetings you will attend there will be reports which you will need to read beforehand.
The people you represent will look to you for help in dealing with their problems, whether or not these fall strictly within the Moray Council's remit. You are likely to receive a lot of mail and a great many telephone calls. Not every caller will telephone at what you think is a reasonable hour!
Is there training for Councillors?
There will be a programme of induction and training sessions for new Councillors after the elections. Meanwhile, if you'd
like to know what committee and council meetings are like, you would be welcome to come and see. To find out when we have
our meetings look at our calendar of Committee Diary Dates - 23 May to 4 June 2008
The facilities currently available to Councillors are explained below but after the election the new Council may decide to
make changes.
No, all Councillors, including the Convener of the Council share a pooled service.
Will I have my own office at Council Headquarters?
No, although room is set aside within headquarters for the use of Councillors and you will be entitled to share this. You will also have the use of the facilities in the Members' Lounge.
Each year you will receive a basic allowance (currently £6,102) paid in monthly instalments. This is to cover your ward duties; correspondence; telephone calls, attendance at meetings of the Moray Council, committees and other authorised meetings; attendance at seminars and conferences and meetings of outside bodies. Certain "approved duties" are eligible for travel and/or subsistence allowances. Some members also receive a Special Responsibility Allowance in recognition of particular duties they undertake (for example chairmanships). This is something that each new Council considers and decides on.
As a Councillor, what other support will I get?
To help you carry out your duties; you will be able to call on information and advice from the professional officers of the Council.
The Committee Services and Member Services Units in Headquarters may well be the officers you see most often. Committee Services provide service to the meetings of the Council and its committees; eg convening meetings and writing the minutes; and are generally responsible for keeping the democratic system running. The team is there to help you with queries about matters such as Standing Orders (the basic "rules of the game"), declarations of interests etc. It also acts as a first point of contact with the professional side of the organisation. The team can also help you with the drafting of any resolutions, amendments and questions you may wish to put at meetings.
Members’ Support will provide secretarial support and also make the arrangements for any conferences or other events that you may attend on behalf of the Council. The Library located in Members' services holds a wide range of books, publications and other information relating to your work as a councillor, from local, national and international sources.
The Council provides its members with a personal computer and printer linked to the internet and e-mail. Councillors will be offered training in using this system and technical support from the Council's staff. Councillors are also supplied with a combined fax/telephone answering machine and other essential office equipment to allow them to establish an office base at home.
More and more of the Council's business is being done via computers and electronic communications. To keep themselves fully in the picture, Councillors now need to be able to take advantage of these systems.
The Council covers fully Councillors' legal liability in respect of any claims that may be made against them as a result of carrying out their duties. We also provide a personal accident policy. However, don't get the impression that being a Councillor is a dangerous job!