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Part 2 Article 2 - Members of the Council

2.01 Composition and Eligibility

1. Composition: The Council will comprise 55 (or such number as the Local Government Commission dictates through the Boundary Review process) Members, otherwise called councillors. One or more councillors will be elected by the voters of each ward in accordance with a scheme drawn up by the Local Government Commission and approved by the Secretary of State.

2. Eligibility: Only registered voters of the district or those living or working there will be eligible to hold the office of councillor.

2.02 Election and Terms of Councillors

1. Election and Terms: The regular election of councillors will be held on the first Thursday in May every four years beginning in 2003. The terms of office of councillors will start on the fourth day after being elected and will finish on the fourth day after the date of the next regular election.

2. Bye-Elections: Where a bye-election is required to fill a vacancy on the Council it will be held on a date fixed by the Returning Officer. The term of office of a councillor elected in these circumstances commences immediately after the bye-election and will finish on the fourth day after the date of the next regular election.

2.03 Roles and Functions of all Councillors

1. collectively be the ultimate policy-makers and carry out a number of strategic and corporate management functions;
2. represent their communities and bring their views into the Council's decision-making process, i.e. become the advocate of and for their communities;
3. deal with individual casework and act as an advocate for constituents in resolving particular concerns or grievances;
4. balance different interests identified within the ward and represent the ward as a whole;
5. be involved in decision-making;
6. be available to represent the Council on other bodies;
7. maintain the highest standards of conduct and ethics; and
8. contribute to the good governance of the area and actively encourage community participation and citizen involvement in decision making;

2.04 Rights and duties

1. Councillors will have such rights of access to such documents, information, land and buildings of the Council as are necessary for the proper discharge of their functions and in accordance with the law.
2. Councillors will not make public information which is confidential or exempt without the consent of the Council or divulge information given in confidence to anyone other than a councillor or officer entitled to know it.
3. For these purposes, "confidential" and "exempt"information are defined in the Access to Information Rules in Part 4 of this Constitution.

2.05 Conduct

Councillors will at all times observe the Members' Code of Conduct and the Protocol on Member/Officer Relations set out in Part 5 of this Constitution

2.06 Allowances

Councillors will be entitled to receive allowances in accordance with the Members' Allowances Scheme set out in Part 7 of this Constitution.