Electing a Parish Councillor - Scarbrough Ward
On Thursday 17th November 2016 a new Councillor was elected in Scarbrough Parish Ward. Below is a diary of events, and items published in the lead up to the election to show how the democratic procedure occurred.
Thursday 22nd September 2016 - Vacancy Announced
Becoming a Town Councillor
Due to a resignation Skegness Town Council has a vacancy for a Town Councillor. Skegness Town Council is a medium to large sized Parish Council, employing 9 people with a precept of £317,000 serving a population of around 22,000. The Council has 21 Councillors including a Mayor and Deputy Mayor. Would you like to represent your community, are you interested in the issues that Skegness & Winthorpe face? Do you want to be involved in shaping the future of the local community? If the answer is Yes, then becoming a Councillor could be right for you.
Are you qualified to be a Councillor?
A Councillor is a person elected (whether his election is contested or not) or co-opted into a Council and is the holder of a public office.
To qualify you must be:
- Over 18 years of age
- A Commonwealth citizen or Euronational
- On the electoral register
You must also meet at least one of the four following qualifications on the day you are nominated and on polling day:
- be registered as a local government elector for the parish area in which you are standing
- have occupied as an owner or a tenant any land or premises in the parish area in which you are standing during the whole of the 12 months before the day you are nominated
- have had your main or only place of work during the last 12 months in the parish area in which you are standing
- have lived in the parish area or within three miles of it in which you are standing during the whole of the last 12 months
There are certain people who are disqualified from being a Town Councillor. You cannot be a candidate if at the time of your nomination and on polling day you are employed by Skegness Town Council, are subject of a bankruptcy restrictions order or interim order, have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of three months or more (including a suspended sentence) or have been disqualified under the Representation of the People Act 1983. If you are unsure on whether you qualify please contact Skegness Town Council office or the Elections Team at East Lindsey District Council to discuss.
Further information on standing for election in a Town or Parish Council can be found from the Electoral Commissions website http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/candidate-or-agent/parish-and-community-council-elections-in-england-and-wales
What's involved?
A Councillor must make a declaration of acceptance of office in a prescribed form and must abide by the Councils' Code of Conduct.
The main responsibilities of a Councillor are:
- To represent their ward
- A duty to attend meetings
- To attend training
- To raise matters for the Council to consider and decide upon
- To make informed contributions which influence debate
- Be familiar with and follow Standing Orders (the rules of the Council)
- To abide with the Code of Conduct
- Duty to disclose and register financial interests and that of Spouse/Partner
- Community leadership & Engagement
Council meetings are held monthly, on top of this there are Committee meetings and working group meetings, these can be evening and sometimes daytime meetings. A Councillors normal term of office is four years but in this case due to resignation you would hold office until May 2019. Further information on becoming a Councillor can be found on the Local Government Associations Website https://beacouncillor.co.uk/.
If you are interested in becoming a Councillor please contact the Elections team at East Lindsey District Council. Tel: 01507 601111.