The Council (all 26 Councillors) sets a policy framework and decides the level of each year's Council Tax. The Convener chairs the Council.

A lot of this work will be done through committees, which must be politically balanced (with their membership reflecting the relative strengths of the different political groups on the Council). The committees publish their reports in advance and allow the press and public to attend meetings (except for a few special categories of business; under 5% of the total in our experience).

Councillors may also be representing the Council on a number of outside organisations; school boards, arts and community organisations, voluntary organisations for example. It's a lot to take on but rewarding enough that the great majority of councillors seek re-election, some of them serving for 20 years or more.