	Democratic Services
	Torbay Council
	Town Hall Castle Circus Torquay TQ1 3DS
	dem.services @torbay.gov.uk
	01803 207064
	01803 207011

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How the Council works - FAQs

The Council is run by a mayor and 36 councillors who are elected by the residents of Torbay every 4 years. They are responsible for making decisions on behalf of the local community about services provided by the Council. As the Council is funded by public money, it has to make sure that the decisions it takes are available and accountable to the people it serves.

Who makes decisions?

It depends on the decision that needs to be made. The big decisions are made by the Mayor and councillors. Officers make most day to day decisions.

What are Council meetings and what do they do?

The Mayor and all 36 councillors meet formally as the ‘Council’. At these meetings the Council sets a budget for services, the Council Tax and the Council’s plans are agreed (called the ‘policy framework’). The Council also deals with harbours, licensing and planning issues and appoints smaller groups of councillors (committees) to deal with these areas of work. A diagram of the committee structure is available at the bottom of this page.

What about the Mayor and Cabinet?

The Mayor makes most of the Council’s big decisions as long as they are within the budget and policy framework that is set by the Council. He mainly makes his decisions at meetings of the Cabinet. The Cabinet includes up to 9 councillors chosen by the Mayor who help and advise him.

Can I find out in advance what decisions are going to be made?

The Mayor publishes all major decisions that he and the Council intend to make in a ‘forward plan’. We also publish papers (agendas, reports and minutes) for meetings at least five days beforehand and these are available on this website. They are also available in the libraries and the Connections offices.

Minutes of meetings summarising the decisions made are also available.

What do the other councillors do?

The other councillors, who do not work on the Mayor’s Cabinet, act as a ‘watchdog’ and monitor the decisions that the Mayor is taking. This is called ‘overview and scrutiny’. After the Mayor has made a decision, there is usually a delay of one week before it can be implemented. This allows time for councillors to consider and investigate it in more detail if they think it is not in the best interests of Torbay’s residents and visitors. They can not change or stop a decision, but councillors can ask for the decision to be reconsidered in light of the concerns raised.

A number of councillors are appointed as ‘scrutiny leads’ and they meet as the Overview and Scrutiny Board.

When the councillors are not scrutinising the work of the Mayor and Cabinet, they review how the Council is delivering its services in ‘review panels’ and make recommendations for improvement.

Councillors also represent the community and act as community leaders.

Can the Mayor/councillors take decisions which might benefit them personally?

No. When the Mayor and councillors are first elected, they have to agree to follow a code of conduct. The Code of Conduct ensures high standards and sets out the rules for how they should carry out their duties.

What’s the difference between the Mayor and the Chairman of the Council?

The Mayor is the ‘first citizen’ of Torbay. This means that he can represent Torbay at civic and ceremonial events, such as Royal visits and opening school fetes. However, due to the many duties the Mayor has to undertake he asks the Chairman of the Council to carry out many of these functions. The Chairman of the Council also chairs (is in charge of) the Council meetings.

How can I get involved and have my say?

There are many ways you can have your say and get involved in local decisions for example attend meetings, organise a petition, raise questions at question time sessions and help scrutinise issues by becoming a member of our community pool. Alternatively, you may wish to contact your local community partnership.