How a Council Works Philip Simpkins Chief Executive Bedford Borough Council

2 Members and Officers Members (including Mayor) are elected Officers are paid officials No Non Executives

3 Elected Members – Bedford Borough Directly Elected Mayor (different to most councils) 40 Councillors covering 27 wards All out elections every four years – next May 2015 All 41 are Members of Full Council with equal voting rights

4 Differing Roles - Executive Run the Council day to day Mayor plus up to nine councillors (currently one vacancy) Mayor chooses Executive Members Executive Members = Portfolio Holders Portfolio Holder for Adult Services & Community Wellbeing – Councillor Atkins

5 Differing Roles – Overview and Scrutiny Four OSC Committees Hold Executive to account Look at policy development

6 Differing Roles - Other Regulatory – Planning and Licensing General Purposes – Electoral matters and staffing

7 Officers All employed by the Council Assist Mayor and Councillors in their respective roles Develop and implement policy

8 Statutory Posts Head of Paid Services (Chief Executive – Philip Simpkins) Chief Finance Officer (Trevor Roff) Monitoring Officer (Michael Gough) Director of Children’s Services (Margaret Dennison) Director of Adults Services (Frank Toner) New Director of Public Health (Muriel Scott)

9 Decision Making (1) Executive – unless Policy Framework then Full Council Full Council – Budget Conflict Resolution for Full Council OSC are not decision makers

10 Decision Making (2) Reports to Decision Makers (including Council/Executive/other Committees) must include: –Legal –Policy –Risk and –Resource Mayor/Portfolio Holders can take Executive Decisions Officer Delegation

11 Any Questions