Would you like to be a councillor?

Swale Borough Council is encouraging local people to think about whether they would like to apply to be a councillor in local elections being held on 2 May 2019.

An event will be held on 7pm in the Committee Room at Swale House, Wednesday 13 February for anyone interested in standing.

Please contact Democratic Services at the Council at DemocraticServices@swale.gov.uk to register your interest.

Chief Executive and Returning Officer Mark Radford will be there to explain work undertaken by Swale Borough Council.

Mark says:

“If you care about the area that you live or work in and the issues facing local people, you may wish to consider standing to be a councillor. Come along on Wednesday 13th February to find out more about what is involved and how to apply.”

A councillor’s role and responsibilities include:

• representing the ward for which they are elected
• engaging with constituents about issues that concern their area
• decision-making
• developing and reviewing council policy
• scrutinising decisions taken by the councillors on the executive or cabinet
• regulatory, quasi-judicial and statutory duties
• community leadership and engagement

Find out more

The event will be informal, interactive and will give people a chance to speak to the Chief Executive about the role of councillors, to learn about how to apply to be a councillor, and to hear first-hand from a councillor about what it is like to be a councillor. If you would like to attend the event, or want more information about becoming a councillor, email our team at DemocraticServices@swale.gov.uk

Anyone interested in becoming a councillor should only attend this meeting if they have a real and genuine interest in serving the community and the electorate of the Ward they would hope to represent. The office of councillor is not one for kudos, aggrandisement or for those who have political aspirations elsewhere and who see it as a jumping board. Westminster politics have no place in the council chamber.  

Swale has been held to ransom for too many years by the Conservatives with Bowles and his cabinet members at the head dictating procedures and policies which the vast majority of Conservative Councillors will not oppose or gainsay.  We witness all around us on a daily basis in Swale the havoc in so many ways and so many areas areas of life and work that the Conservatives have wrought as a result.  

We need genuinely open-minded Councillors to work for the benefit and in the best interests of the community and not simply pandering to a leader and portfolio holders by taking lemming like approaches and simply voting along party political lines.

 

With reference to the list of Councillors Role and Responsibilities.

Since a majority of councillors completely ignore the wishes of the electorate most of this list is complete rubbish. We have a house building policy nobody wants, a road system that is now worse than the previous layout and a leisure complex that looks more like a white elephant with each passing day.

At least with the council and its favourite land speculator’s plan for massive housing developments it will ensure Swale maintains its position as having the worse ratio of patient list to GP in the country - being twice that of the best.