Becoming a councillor

What is a councillor?
Councillors are people elected by your area to represent you in the Council's decision making processes. They are usually members of a political party, although some choose not to belong to a party and are called Independents.

Tandridge District Council has 42 councillors elected to look after the interests of the District as a whole and their local community.

What does a councillor do?
A councillor represents their constituents. They also decide the priorities and objectives which the council will pursue, as well as the amount the Council spends.

Councillors are appointed to a number of specialist committees, which consider reports about services and other issues. They also represent the Council on many local organisations.

Committees are empowered to take decisions on certain matters on behalf of the Council. Otherwise they make recommendations to full Council meetings.

Click on the following link for more information about Councillors & committees

How do I become a councillor?
To qualify as a candidate for election to the District Council you must ensure that on the day you are nominated as a candidate you are:

• 18 years of age or over.
• A Commonwealth citizen (which includes a British subject) or a citizen of the Irish Republic or a member state of the European Union.
• You are a local elector, or you live, work or own a property in the area.

Are there any restrictions to becoming a councillor?
You can be disqualified from holding the office of councillor for:

• Having a conviction for corruption or illegal practises.
• Being convicted within the last five years of an offence with a sentence of imprisonment (whether suspended or not) for not less than three months without the option of a fine.
• Being an adjudged bankrupt.

What should I do if I want to stand for election as an independent candidate?
Once a seat which you are eligible to contest becomes vacant, you should contact the Electoral Registration office to get advice on preparing your nomination papers, to receive your free copy of the register of electors and to get information about what else you need to do.