The Role of the Chairman?

THE ROLE OF THE CHAIRMAN?

 A Chairman:

•    Is a member of the Council and is elected annually

•    Has the authority at meetings and must be obeyed

•    Is the interface between the public and the Council

•    The one to welcome speakers and make them ‘feel at home’

•    Is to make sure the decision is clear for the clerk to act upon

 Note: The Chairman on his own has no power to make decisions without the Resolution of the        Council.

Presiding at the first Annual Meeting of the Parish Council:

The retiring chairman, or in his or her absence, the vice chair must preside at the meeting for the first item on the agenda (after apologies and checking previous minutes) ‘To Elect Chairman’.  If it is a meeting after an election then the retiring chair or vice chair presides, even if they are no longer councillors.  If both are absent then the meeting may appoint another councillor to preside.  It is illegal for a clerk to take the chair at a meeting.

Election of a Chair:

If the presiding chair is no longer to be a member of the council then he only has a casting vote.  If he is still going to be a member then he has a vote and a casting vote (he can vote for himself if he wants).  The chairman of the council should give a report to the APM on the activity of the council (in this meeting, if he is not an elector in the parish, he only has a casting vote).

Once voted in, the new chair signs his declaration of acceptance of office and presides over the meeting immediately.

What does a good chairman do?

Plan the meeting with the clerk and ensure that everything on the agenda is legal.

Brief themselves and prepare fully – study all relevant information and anticipate the needs and interests of the members.  The Chairman can then answer questions or deal with requests for information.

Be punctual – the Chairman should set a good example by arriving early to check the arrangements and welcome members, the public and any visiting speakers.

Conduct the meeting 

Check there is a quorum (minimum number of members needed to make the meeting legal)

Call the meeting to order and declare it open

Welcome members, the public and visiting speakers to the meeting

Introduce the standard items on the agenda – apologies; declarations of interest; confirmation of minutes of previous meeting.

Introduce the agenda items and ensure that all members know what they have to achieve and how they might do it encourage participation.

• Stimulate an exchange of ideas and experience.
• Ensure that all have a chance to express their views freely.
• Keep the members aware of objectives.
• Maintain focus.
• Guide and progress discussion towards achieving the objectives.
• Manage conflict.
• Be fair and balanced.
• Preserve order.
• Enforce rules of procedure.
• Rule on disputed matters.
• The Chairman has the power to Barr any person from the meeting for being disruptive or abusive after reasonable warning, including councillors.

The Chairman as an individual

As an individual, the chairman has few powers that can be exercised outside of a properly called meeting.  The one that springs to mind is that the chairman can call an extraordinary meeting (although two councillors can force an extraordinary meeting if the chairman refuses to do so).

In meetings, the chairman has a good deal of discretion about how to run the meeting, although this should be exercised in such a way as to promote fair debate with adequate opportunity for views to be put.  There is no sure fire way to get rid of the chairman until the next annual meeting, when there must be an election for chairman again.

Agenda items should not be refused provided they are within the remit of the council.  For example, a local Parish Council cannot debate the war in Afghanistan because it is outside the scope of the council's responsibilities.

But agenda items on local matters must be included, and the clerk has only a limited power to correct grammar, or seek clarification.  The chairman's role in the agenda is to collaborate with the clerk with the aim of achieving an effective meeting.

A resignation of the Chairman must be given in written notice to the council, not the clerk.

The Chairman will often be the public face of the council and will represent the council at official events. He may be asked to speak on behalf of the council in such circumstances he must only express the agreed views of the council and not his own personal views. The Chairman cannot legally make a decision on behalf of the council.

The Chairman is responsible for ensuring that effective and lawful decisions are taken at meetings of the council and, guides activities by managing the meetings of the council. The Chairman is responsible for involving all councillors in discussion and ensuring that councillors keep to the point. The chairman summarises the debate and facilitates the making of clear resolutions and is responsible for keeping discussions moving so that the meeting is not too long. The Chairman has a casting vote, his first vote is a personal vote as a member of the council. If there is a tied vote, the Chairman can have a second vote, a casting vote.