Councillors

A councillor is an elected representative who sits on a local or regional council. They are responsible for helping govern a municipality, district, parish, or region and for representing the interests of residents in a defined area.

Councillors participate in decision-making, set policy, adopt budgets, approve planning and service delivery, and scrutinize the actions of the executive branch or council administration. They may serve on committees such as planning, housing, education, or transport, and may chair meetings or lead on specific issues.

They are elected by residents in local elections, typically serving terms of four years, though lengths vary by jurisdiction. Some systems use proportional representation; others use first-past-the-post or other methods. Councillors are elected to wards, districts, or at-large.

In systems with a directly elected mayor or council leader, the council works with the executive to govern; in other systems the mayor or chief executive is chosen by the council or by a separate process.

Councillors are expected to adhere to codes of conduct, disclose conflicts of interest, and act in the public interest. They may receive allowances, and their work is subject to scrutiny, accountability mechanisms, and, in some places, recall.

The term is common in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries; in the United States, the equivalent titles include councilmember or councilor.