Becoming a Councillor

Becoming a Councillor will put you in a position of trust, working for the people of the Borders, and this can be a rewarding and enriching experience. It is no easy task being a Councillor, and you need to be prepared to take decisions on behalf of the people of the Borders about matters which affect their lives and you also need to be prepared to be accountable for those decisions.

Who is eligible?

You do not have to be affiliated to a political party to stand for election. You do, however, have to be:

• aged 18 or older
• a British citizen, or a citizen of the Irish Republic or a relevant citizen of the European Union
• on the Electoral Register for the area or have, during the previous 12 months, lived or worked in the area

Councillor's duties

To summarise a Councillor's duties very briefly, a Councillor is elected to:

• represent a constituency and be sensitive to its needs
• take their share in determining our policies over our whole area, while still having regard to the needs of their own constituency
• ensure that our officers carry out our policies effectively
• act as a channel of communication between ourselves and their constituents and vice versa, dealing with complaints and representations made by the public

Not only is a Councillor a decision maker, but also a scrutiniser, community representative/leader, employer and our representative.

Further information

To become a Councillor you must be voted in during a local election. For further information about becoming a Councillor please contact our election team for more information.