The Role of the Mayor & Your Elected Members
Local Government is, by definition, community oriented. As the closest sphere of government to the community, Local Government is in the best position to identify and address the needs of the people living, working and visiting the area it serves.
Councils consist of two groups - Elected Members and staff. Each Council is different in size, however most Councils have between 10 and 15 Elected Members with staff numbers varying greatly due to the different areas and numbers of residents they represent.
Elected members are not paid for their time but receive an allowance for expenses associated with their role.
The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters has a Mayor and 15 Elected Members, representing 7 wards.
The role of the Mayor is specified within the legislation that provides the framework in which councils operate. In the case of councils it is the Local Government Act 1999, which provides this framework. Section 58, of the Local Government Act 1999, stipulates the role of the Principal Member (Mayor) as:
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to preside at meetings of the Council;
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to provide advice to the Chief Executive Officer between Council meetings on the implementation of a decision of the Council;
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to act as principal spokesperson of the Council;
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to exercise other functions of the Council as the Council determines; and
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to carry out the civic and ceremonial duties of the office of principal member.
The role of the Elected Member is to represent the interests of residents and ratepayers, to provide community leadership and guidance, and to facilitate communication between the community and the council. This role provides the fundamental basis in ensuring the needs of the community are met.
To find out who your local Elected Member is or how to contact them please click here
For a map showing wards in your City click here
