Becoming a Councillor
Becoming a Councillor will put you in a position of trust, working for the people of the Borders, and this can be a rewarding and enriching experience. It is no easy task being a Councillor, and you need to be prepared to take decisions on behalf of the people of the Borders about matters which affect their lives and you also need to be prepared to be accountable for those decisions.
You do not have to be affiliated to a political party to stand for election. You do, however, have to be:
- aged 18 or older
- a British citizen, or a citizen of the Commonwealth, the Irish Republic or a relevant citizen of the European Union
- on the Electoral Register for the area or have, during the previous 12 months, lived or worked in the area.
To summarise a Councillor’s duties very briefly, a Councillor is elected to:
- Represent a ward and be sensitive to its needs;
- Take his or her share in determining the policies of the Council over its whole area, while still having regard to the needs of his/her own ward;
- Ensure that officers of the Council carry out the policies of the Council effectively;
- Act as a channel of communication between the Council and the residents of his/her ward and vice versa, concerning him/herself with complaints and representations made by the public.
Not only is a Councillor a decision maker, but also a scrutiniser, community representative/leader, employer and a representative of the Council.
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