A to Z of services
Councillors: Outline
Councillors are elected to represent local people in the council's decision making process.
In the County Council, they represent particular local areas, called Electoral Divisions. County Durham currently has 63 Electoral Divisions, with two councillors representing each Division, so the County Council has 126 Councillors (sometimes known as Members).
These Councillors were elected on 1 May 2008. The next County Council Election is currently scheduled for 2013 and every fourth year thereafter. County Councillors undertake a variety of roles. There are some basic roles that fall to all Councillors equally. Some Councillors, however, may have additional responsibilities, because of the position they hold, e.g. as a Chairman/Vice-Chairman of a Committee or a member of the Cabinet.
