Issue - meetings

This motion is under consideration by the Constitution Working Party and the recommendations will follow.

“This council tasks the Head of Paid Service to update and amend the constitution to reflect the following:

Leader

•         The Annual Council Meeting will appoint a Councillor to be the Leader of the Council for the Municipal Year

•         The Annual Council Meeting will also appoint the Leader to be a member of the Policy & Resources Committee and to act as its Chairman

•         The Leader will:

•         be the Chairman of the Policy & Resources Committee;

•         provide overall strategic vision and direction to the council;

•         coordinate the work of the council’s committees;

•         work closely with the Head of Paid Service to ensure member priorities are delivered;

•         act externally as the council’s main political representative;

•         and be the council’s main spokesman in the media

Deputy Leader

•         The Annual Council Meeting will appoint a Councillor to be the Deputy Leader of the Council

•         The Annual Council Meeting will also appoint the Deputy Leader to be a member of the Policy & Resources Committee and to act as its Vice Chairman

•         The Deputy Leader will:

•         be Vice Chairman of the Policy & Resources Committee;

•         work closely with and support the Leader;

•         act and speak on the Leader’s behalf at meetings and in the media when required to do so

Lead Members

•         The Leader and Deputy Leader will serve as Lead Members, each with a Lead Portfolio

•         The Annual Council Meeting will appoint up to three other Lead Members, each with a Lead Portfolio relating to areas of council policy, for the Municipal Year

•         The Annual Council Meeting will agree the portfolio areas for each Lead Member and appoint the Lead Members to be members of the Policy & Resources Committee

•         Lead Members will:

•         provide political oversight and leadership of their portfolio area;

•         provide collective oversight and leadership of the authority;

•         act as a public spokesman for their portfolio area;

•         present relevant reports, as required, to the Policy & Resources Committee and Council;

•         and be answerable to the Policy & Resources Committee and Council for service performance in their portfolio areas

•         The “Administration” of the Council, therefore, comprises the Leader, Deputy Leader and Lead Members, who are drawn from all, or part of, the controlling group’s or controlling coalition’s membership of the Policy & Resources Committee

Member Champions

•         Subject to the ongoing review into Member Champions, the Annual Council Meeting may appoint Member Champions responsible for promoting general themes in a non-partisan manner.

Committees

The council will continue to operate under non-executive arrangements i.e. ‘the committee system’, with no individual member wielding executive power.

It will have the following committees:

•         Policy & Resources Committee with power to establish an Appeals Sub-Committee and an Appointments Sub-Committee

•      Overview & Scrutiny Committee

•      Planning Committee

•      Licensing Committee with power to establish a Licensing Sub-Committee

•      Audit, Governance & Standards Committee to carry out the  ...  view the full agenda text for item 11b