Roles and responsibilities
Each Councillor has a duty to the whole of the district and also a special responsibility to constituents in the ward for which they are elected.
What do councillors do?
- councillors take part in the governance and management of the Council
- they 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 community views into the Council's decision-making process
- they represent their ward and individual constituents. This allows them to address concerns and acting as their representative
- councillors balance different interests within the ward and represent the ward as a whole
- they may be appointed to represent the Council on other bodies
Some councillors take on extra duties to make sure that the council makes good decisions, and that all councillors behave appropriately.
Leader of the Council
Councillor Karl Johnson is the Leader of the Council. They chair the Cabinet meeting and direct the overall strategy, budget, and policy arrangements of the Council.
The Leader also represents Wakefield at regional and national events, and provides community leadership to organizations working with the Council.
For more information on the Council's partnerships, visit the Wakefield Together website.
Cabinet Member
The Cabinet is chaired by the Leader of the council. The Cabinet is responsible for taking most of the day-to-day decisions of the council on matters known as Executive Functions.
The members of the Cabinet are called portfolio holders, and each has responsibility for certain areas of activity.
There are currently eight Portfolio Holders, each with a deputy.
| Portfolio | Cabinet member | Deputy portfolio holders |
| Neighbourhood Services | Cllr Julian Carter |
Cllr James Johnston |
| Adults and Health | Cllr Dr Ansat Hayat |
Cllr Joanne Chambers |
| Children and Young People | Cllr Matthew Caton | Cllr Michelle Keeley |
| Safer Stronger Communities | Cllr Rebecca Webster | Cllr Paul Jackson |
| Culture and Sport | Cllr Lukasz Borcz | Cllr Cliff Parsons |
| Highways, Transport and Planning | Cllr Keith Anderson | Cllr David Pringle |
|
Strategic Housing, Skills and Business Growth |
Cllr Andrew Wakefield | Cllr Craig Smith |
|
District Regeneration and Regional Growth |
Cllr Matthew Pinder | Cllr Adam Freer |
| Deputy Leader of the Council and Resources and Property | Cllr John Thomas | Cllr Graham Ridler |
View Cabinet meetings, agendas and minutes
Leader of the Opposition
The Leader of the Opposition speaks for the main Opposition Group and represents their views on policy and priority issues.
Remuneration (allowances & expenses)
Councillors are not paid a salary but receive allowances and expenses to cover their public duties. You can find information about these payments on the Councillors' Allowances and Expenses page.
Standards of Conduct
Councillors follow a Code of Conduct that outlines expected behaviour. This requires them to declare potential conflicts of interest. The Council's Standards Committee oversees this code. If you have a complaint, contact Committee Services for help.