Anecdotally, we often hear a lot of sentiments in society to the tune of, “what does a councillor actually do?”, “do they get paid?”, “are they employed by the council or voted in?” “do they need qualifications or experience to become a councillor?” etc, etc.
Well, the purpose of this piece is to have a deeper look into the role of a councillor and the role(s) they have in upholding local democracy, representing local residents concerns, and making decisions about local services.
Who represents me?
In Wrexham County Borough Council the authority comprises of 56 elected representatives, all voted in by the residents of the particular ward that councillor represents.
Some wards have just one elected representative, where other wards can have two or three depending on the population of that particular area.
The rough formula is around 1 county councillor per 1,500 residents, this can vary slightly, but that is around the ballpark figure.
Visit our website to find out who your local councillor is according to where you live .
The politics of it all.
“Do councillors all represent political parties” you may hear sometimes too.
Yes and no is the answer to that question…some do, and some don’t.
Wrexham Council is currently made up of 23 independents, 14 Labour, 7 Conservatives, 7 Plaid Cymru, 3 non-aligned and 2 progressive independents to make up the total number of 56 elected councillors.
How often can I vote for the councillor of my choice?
Local elections for every local authority in Wales is usually the first Thursday of May every five years and the next election is expected to be in just a few months’ time on Thursday 6th May 2027.
If you would like to learn more details about voting or how to register to vote, then feel free to find out more information on our website.
So what does my councillor do?
Every local councillor is elected to represent the electoral ward they serve, on behalf of the residents that live in that particular area for any issue that Wrexham Council is responsible for.
So whether that be your bins, social care, schools, housing or any other service delivered by your council, then they will fall under the jurisdiction of your locally elected representative.
A full list of the council’s responsibilities and associated documents can find found on the council website.
A final word from: a senior councillor.
Councillor John Pritchard, Lead Member for Corporate and Customer Services said: – “It’s pleasing to have any opportunity to promote more awareness about the role of a locally elected representative as it’s vitally important that we continue to breakdown barriers to the access of local democracy, generate more public awareness about the functions of Wrexham Council and indeed engagement with our democratic processes.
“I would certainly encourage anyone who is interested in local government to find out more and maybe come along to some of our public meetings or watch them online.
“Local democracy is for everyone and it’s crucial that we enhance public awareness about the role of councillors and the work that councils do to represent and support local communities.”
