Who is Monmouth Town Council?
MTC is made up of 19 Councillors who represent the town of Monmouth. Each Councillor must live or work in Monmouth and must have done so for at least 1 year. In 2022, a new Council was formed following the local government elections in May 2022.
What can Monmouth Town Council do?
Any Town or Community Council has certain legal powers which allows them to make decisions that benefit the town they represent and its residents. Monmouth Town Council, therefore, can only make decision relevant to the 5 wards of Monmouth (Town, Osbaston, Overmonnow, Drybridge and Wyesham).
How is Monmouth Town Council funded?
Each year the Council must undertake a budget setting exercise that will confirm the budget for the following financial year. Payment of this budget is paid for by the precept which is the amount of money requested from Monmouthshire County Council. The precept is paid for through the residents Council Tax. It is possible, for the Town Council to reduce the amount of precept requested by using its General Reserves to fund part of the budget. This then reduces the impact on the local residents Council Tax payment. Monmouth Town Council decided to do this for 2022-23 by paying £40,000 from the General Reserves.
When and where does Monmouth Town Council meet?
The Town Council usually meets on a Monday evening. Full Council, People and Places Committee and Finance and Policy Committee all meet monthly on a Monday evening at the Shire Hall, Agincourt Square. The Planning Committee meets fortnightly on a Tuesday evening at Bridges Community Centre. For more details on the meeting schedule please check out our meetings page.
Are Monmouth Town Council meetings open to the public?
All meetings held by the Town Council are open to the public with no need to register your wish to attend- you can just turn up! Sometimes there are items on the agenda which involve personal details or contract details and these items are closed to the public but this is made clear on any agenda and it happens at the end of the meeting so that there is little disruption to those attending.
How do I become a Councillor?
To become a Councillor for Monmouth, you need to satisfy specific qualities that will qualify you to stand which includes you either living in Monmouth or working in Monmouth for more than 1 year. There must also be a vacancy on the Council for you to join. If we have a vacancy, an election notice will be published by Monmouthshire County Council which sets a deadline for the receipt of 10 signatures from members of the relevant ward. If 10 signatures are received, an election will be held. If insufficient signatures are received, the vacancy will be filled by the co-option process.
What is the co-option process?
Co-option is the process for filling a Councillor vacancy in the absence of an election. If this is needed, a co-option notice will be published and those interested will be invited to submit an application to the Council. All applications will be considered by the Full Council and a decision will be made by Council as to who is chosen to fill the vacancy. The chosen applicant will then be a member of the Town Council.
Do I get paid as a Councillor?
Being a Town Councillor is a voluntary role, however, there are allowances that members are able to claim that are set by the Independent Remuneration Panel Wales and adopted by the Town Council. These allowances are set to support members in their role to include attendance at meetings.
How much time do I need to commit to being a Councillor?
Every Councillor must be on 2 committees as well as Full Council. You will be legally summonsed to attend all meetings for the committees you are a member of and each of these meeting could be between 2 to 3 hours. In addition to committee meetings, Councillors are invited to participate in working groups and task and finish groups which are informal meetings for projects being undertaken by the Council in partnership with other community groups/ members of public. In addition, there are civic events such as Remembrance Sunday that Councillors are invited to attend and there will be the possibility of working within your ward by holding surgeries or answering questions and issues raised by your residents. It is not possible to specify the amount of time each person should allocate to Council matters, however, it is important to know that as a Councillor you will be a key part of the decision making and representation of any matters relating to the town.
Are Councillors expected to undertake training?
Yes, Councillors are expected to undertake Code of Conduct training. Councillors are also encouraged to attend chairing training, our in house training session as well as any other specific training relevant to committees e.g. planning training. Council has a budget for Member and Officer training as well as a Training Plan to ensure that Councillors and staff are given the best opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills.
Can Councillors make decisions on their own?
No- all decisions by Council must be made collectively. The Council's Scheme of Delegation sets out what each committee can make decisions about without the endorsement of Full Council. Anything outside of this, must be approved by Full Council. No single Councillor can agree or commit to any form of expenditure. All payments must be approved by the relevant committee/ Full Council.
Have Monmouth Town Council signed up to the Civility and Respect Pledge?
Yes we have! The Town Council agreed to sign this pledge in October 2022.