Roles and responsibilities of councillors
Each of the 63 councillors (elected members) is elected as a ward representative. They have a duty to the whole of the district but have a special responsibility to their constituents in dealing with local issues and acting on behalf of the specific communities that elected them including those that did not vote for them.
What do councillors do?
- Councillors participate in the governance and management of the Council.
- Councillors need to attend meetings and take part in the Council’s work, for example through the decisions taken at Council meetings.
- Councillors represent their communities and bring their views into the Council’s decision making process, as advocates for their communities.
- Councillors represent the interests of their Ward and of individual constituents, including investigating concerns raised by their constituents and acting as the representative of that individual constituent.
- Councillors balance different interests within the Ward and represent the Ward as a whole.
- Councillors may be appointed to represent the Council on other bodies.
Some elected members undertake additional responsibilities and duties to ensure the Council’s decisions are robust and transparent and the behaviour of all councillors is appropriate. The Leader of the Council and Cabinet members can take individual decisions. All other decisions are taken by committees. The Chair of a committee has an important role to play in making sure that its decisions are taken correctly. These additional duties include:
Leader of the Council
The Leader of the Council is Councillor Peter Box who is elected by all members of the Council at the annual Council meeting. The Leader chairs the Council’s Cabinet meeting and is accountable for proposing and directing the overall strategy, budget and policy arrangements of the Council
It is the responsibility of the Leader to ‘lead the Council’, build a vision for the district and represent Wakefield at regional and national events. The Leader also provides community leadership to those organisations that work closely with the Council. Visit the Wakefield Together website to find out more about how the Council works in partnership with other organisations.
Cabinet Member
The Cabinet – also known as the Executive - is a group of seven elected members responsible for the overall business of the Council. The Cabinet comprises the Leader of the Council who is the Chairperson, and six other members appointed by the Leader. Each Cabinet member has a defined portfolio of responsibilities linked to the Council’s range of services.
It is the responsibility of Cabinet to provide leadership on the development of Council policy and represent the Council – and the Wakefield district - at events and meetings. The Cabinet members are supported by six Cabinet assistants who also have responsibilies for specific services.
Cabinet portfolio holders
Cabinet Assistants
View Cabinet meetings, agendas and minutes
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition is Councillor Mark Crowther who shadows and scrutinises the Leader of the Council and Cabinet in the undertaking of their duties. He/she acts as the principal spokesperson for the Opposition Group of which he/she is leader and establishes and represents the views of the Group on issues of policy and priority.
The Mayor
The Mayor is usually in post for 12 months and is selected from the 63 elected members of the Council. He/she is known as ‘the First Citizen of Wakefield district’ and as such, is an ambassador for both the district and the Council, attending approximately 350 local and civic engagements each year. Visit the Mayor's web pages for more information.
