New Councillors' introduction to the Council

A Councillor's introduction to:

• Introduction
• The Council - how we work
• The Council working in partnership
• Life as a County Councillor - What to expect over the next few weeks
• Roles and responsibilities of Councillors and the support we provide to you in this role
• Councillors Guide produced by the Welsh Local Government Association [WLGA]
• Councillor Remuneration

Introduction

The Council has 68 councillors representing 60 electoral divisions across the county.

We are a major employer in Powys, with approx. 5800 staff.  The revenue budget for 2023-24 is £326.6m and the capital budget is £93.3m.  Details of the Council Accounts are available.

Stronger, Fairer, Greener - Our Corporate Plan sets out the council's vision for the future of Powys and includes the well-being objectives we will focus on to help make our vision a reality.

The Council - how we work

The Council operates a political structure known as the Leader/Cabinet Executive. The Leader is a Councillor elected by the Council. The Leader then appoints a Cabinet of between two and nine additional Councillors.

Council has established a number of Committees.  The document - Council, the Cabinet and Committees - provides a brief guide to the structure of the Council and its respective Committees and their roles.   

The Council's Constitution sets out how the Council operates. 

The Executive Management Team and Senior Leadership Team are the senior staff who advise the council.  They are responsible for the day to day management of the council.  The Council delegates some decision-making powers to Officers to make sure that they are able to manage their part of the organisation effectively.  The powers delegated to Officers by the Council, Cabinet and Committees are set out in the constitution.

The Council working in partnership

We are committed to working in partnership to deliver effective, improved services across the county.  The Council works in partnership with a range of organisations, including other local authorities, health service, police, voluntary organisations and businesses.  Details of the work with such organisations can be found at How the council works in partnership.

Life as a County Councillor - What to expect over the next few weeks

To support you during the first few weeks as a Councillor the above document provides you with the following information:

• Political Groups
• The Cabinet
• Member Development Induction Programme
• What happens if the public ask me to sort out a problem for them or if they have a complaint?
• Outside bodies
• Annual meetings of committee

Roles and responsibilities of Councillors and the support we provide to you in this role

As a councillor you will need to ensure that you are aware of your responsibilities and adhere to rules and regulations relating to these.  You are accountable to the electorate of your ward [even those that did not vote for you], your political group [if applicable] and to the Full Council.

The document - As a Councillor - your responsibilities - explains what your roles and responsibilities are. 

A range of support is available to councillors. 

Council has also agreed the following guidance to support you in your role:

• Personal Safety Guidance for Members
• Framework for Member Mentoring
• Social Media Guide for Members
• Social media guidance for councillors | WLGA Councillors Website Guide (wlgacouncillorsguide.wales)
• Members' Annual Reports guidance

Councillors Guide produced by the Welsh Local Government Association [WLGA]

This useful guide is available from the following link Councillors guide.

Councillor Remuneration

The Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011 established the Independent Remuneration Panel for Wales (IRPW). The IRPW produces a report each year which sets out the payments that councillors are entitled to receive.

The Scheme of Remuneration is available on the Council website, together with details of members allowances and expenses -  Members allowances and expenses

The Local Government Pension Scheme is available to all councillors under the age of 75. You will need to decide if you wish to join the pension scheme, or not.