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Roles and
Responsibilities of the Mayor and Councillors
Below you will find information on the roles and responsibilities of members of the Council,
and the additional roles of the Mayor and
Deputy Mayor.
Unless otherwise
provided in the Local Government
Act 2002 or in standing orders, the
Council can only act by majority decisions at meetings. Each member has
one vote. Any individual member (including the Mayor) has no authority
to act on behalf of the Council unless the Council has expressly
delegated such authority.
Members who are elected
on a ward basis have a duty to that ward and will be
expected to
undertake local functions and represent local issues and constituents
but not to the detriment of their district wide responsibilities.
Mayor
Deputy Mayor
Elected Members
Mayor
The
Mayor is elected by the
District
as a whole and, as one of the elected members, shares the same
responsibilities as other members of Council. The Mayor is the
ceremonial head of the Council. The Mayor also is responsible for:
-
presiding at Council
meetings. The Mayor is responsible for ensuring the orderly conduct of
business during meetings (as determined in standing orders);
-
advocacy on behalf of the
community, with the knowledge and support of the Council;
-
providing leadership and
feedback to other elected members on teamwork and chairmanship of
committees; and
-
Justice of the Peace (while
the Mayor holds office).
The
Mayor must follow the same rules as other elected members about making
public statements and committing the Council to a particular course of
action.
Deputy Mayor
The
Deputy Mayor must be elected by the members of Council, at the first
meeting of the Council. The Deputy Mayor exercises the same roles as
other elected members but, if the Mayor is absent or incapacitated, the
Deputy Mayor must perform all of the responsibilities and duties, and
may exercise the powers, of the Mayor (as summarised above). The Deputy
Mayor may be removed from office by resolution of Council.
Elected Members
Elected members, acting as the Council, are
responsible for:
-
the development and adoption of Council policy
-
monitoring the performance of the Council against
its stated objectives and policies
-
prudent stewardship of Council resources
-
employment of the Chief Executive
-
representing the interests of the residents and
ratepayers of the Papakura District Council (on
election, the members' first responsibility is to the district as a
whole)
-
ensuring overall
compliance by the Council with its obligations and responsibilities
under any enactment.
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