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Role of Elected Members

Home > About Council > Mayor & Elected Members > Role of Elected Members

The Mayor and Elected Members are elected by the local community to represent the interests and needs of the community.

Norwood Streetscape Norwood Town HallElected Members provide community leadership and guidance and facilitate communication between the community and the Council.

Elected Members play a very important policy-making role, requiring the identification of community needs, setting objectives to meet those needs, establishing priorities between competing demands and allocating resources.

The role of the Mayor and the Elected Members is specified within the Local Government Act 1999.

 

Role of the Mayor

Section 59 of the Local Government Act 1999, sets out the role of the Mayor which is to:

  • preside at meetings of the Council
  • provide advice to the Chief Executive Officer between Council meetings on the implementation of a decision of the Council
  • act as principal spokesperson of the Council
  • exercise other functions of the council as the Council determines
  • carry out the civic and ceremonial duties of the office of principal member.

Role of the Elected Member

Included under Section 58 of the Local Government Act 1999, the role of the Elected Member is to:

  • participate in the deliberations and civic activities of the Council
  • keep the Council's objectives and policies under review to ensure that they are appropriate and effective
  • keep the Council's resource allocation, expenditure and activities, and the efficiency and effectiveness of its service delivery, under review
  • represent the interests of residents and ratepayers, to provide community leadership and guidance, and to facilitate communication between the community and the Council.

Code of Conduct

The Council is committed to providing open, responsive and accountable government and values its tradition of integrity, responsibility and fair dealing, and will continue to strive to maintain the highest standards in its relations with the community and the services it provides to the community.

In South Australia there is a mandated Code of Conduct for Elected Members.

Compliance with this Code shall be monitored by the Council. Alleged breaches of the Code shall be reported to the General Manager, Governance & Community Affairs and where, after consideration, it is determined that the matter is of substance, a Report shall be submitted for the consideration of the Council.

Alleged breaches or failure to comply with the Code of Conduct that are not the subject of statutory provisions will be dealt with internally by the Council. Sanctions will be determined by the Council, based on an assessment of the nature of any breach and all relevant circumstances. Sanctions shall not include the imposition of monetary penalties or suspension from Council or Committee meetings, unless a breach of legislation which imposes such penalties is established.

Any person who is aware of possible corrupt or unethical conduct should report it immediately to the Council’s General Manager, Governance & Community Affairs.

Any person who reports possible corrupt or unethical conduct will not be disadvantaged because of such reporting.