Elections 2023: Calling All Community Heroes!

On May 4th this year there will be District and Town /Parish Council elections, this will include Wirksworth Town Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council. Why don’t you stand for your town council and see what difference you can make to your local community?

Parish and town councils are the most local part of our democratic system and are closest to the public.  As a councillor you can become a voice for your community and affect real change.  If you are over 18 and live or work in the town, you are probably eligible to be a councillor.  Elections are held every 4 years.

Background

Wirksworth Town Council provides or contributes towards the following services:

The town council is made up of a fixed number of councillors who meet regularly to make decisions on the work of the council, and are responsible to their local community.  They receive no money directly from the government or local businesses, and their principal source of funding is the ‘precept’ collected through your council tax.  This money is used to provide and improve facilities and services for local people. Attending a council meeting is the best way of finding out what they do.

The Role of a Councillor

What is a councillor? Councillors are elected to represent a ward. They are generally elected by the public every four years.

What do councillors do? Councillors have three main components to their work.

• Decision making – Through meetings and attending committees with other elected members, councillors decide which activities to support, where money should be spent, what services should be delivered and what policies should be implemented.
• Monitoring – Councillors make sure that their decisions lead to efficient and effective services by keeping an eye on how well things are working.
• Getting involved locally – As local representatives, councillors have responsibilities towards their constituents and local organisations. These responsibilities and duties often depend on what the councillor wants to achieve and how much time is available, and may include going to meetings of local organisations such as tenants’ associations, and organisations affecting the wider community; taking up issues on behalf of members of the public, running surgeries for residents to bring up issues, and meeting with individual residents in their own homes.

How much time does it take up? Quite often councillors say that their duties occupy them for about three hours a week. There are some councillors who spend more time than this – and some less, but in the main, being a community, parish and town councillor is an enjoyable way of contributing to your community, and helping to make it a better place to live and work.

Am I qualified? Yes – most people are. However there are a few rules.  You must be:

• A British subject, or a citizen of the Commonwealth or the European Union;
• On the ‘relevant date’ (ie the day on which you are nominated, or if there is a poll on the day of the election) be 18 years of age or over.  Also:

• Be a local government elector for the Council area for which you want to stand on the ‘relevant date’;
• or have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in the council area during the whole of the 12 months preceding that day;
• or had your principal or only place of work in the council area during that same period;
• or have resided in the council area during that 12 month period;
• You can also satisfy the criteria to be elected if you have lived in the council area or within 4.8km of it for the whole of the 12 months preceding the ‘relevant date.’

You cannot stand for election if:

• You are the subject of a bankruptcy restriction order or interim order;
• You have, within five years before the day of the election, been convicted in the United Kingdom of any offence and have had a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for a period of over three months without the option of a fine;
• You work for the Council you want to become a Councillor for (but you can work for other local authorities that represent the same area).

Further information

We realise entering an election can be a daunting prospect and there is a lot of support available for prospective candidates. Wirksworth prides itself on being an open, welcoming Town Council with the interests of the town firmly at its heart. If you are interested in standing for election we recommend coming into the Town Hall and having a non-committal chat with the Town Clerk about the role and asking any questions you may have. Contact enquiries@wirksworth.gov.uk or call 01629 823408 to find out more.

Nominations / key dates

Nomination papers can be downloaded by selecting the following link: Parish/Town Election Nomination Papers

• Nomination papers must be submitted by 4pm on Tuesday 4th April
• Deadline for registering for postal votes: 18 April
• Election Day is Thursday 4 May