Standing for Council

1. Standing for Council

2. What is Local Government? • It is the level of government that is closest to the people in your community • It is responsible for making sure that everyone in the community has access to important local services • It helps to shape the community’s future

3. Why Stand for Council? • To contribute to the development and improvement of your community • To represent the interests of people in your community • To make important decisions that impact on the way people live in your area

4. Why Stand for Council? (continued) Personal benefits include: • Increased understanding of the operation of government at all levels • Increased confidence in communicating and dealing with people • Increased knowledge of management processes

5. Responsibilities of a Councillor • Represents local government electors and other ratepayers and residents • Provides leadership and guidance to community members • Facilitates communication between the community and the council

6. Responsibilities of a Councillor (continued) • Attends council meetings, and committee meetings as required • Participates in decision making • Acts in accordance with the Local Government Act 1995, and with the Local Government (Rules of Conduct) Regulations 2007

7. Accountabilities of the Position • The accountabilities of the position as prescribed by the Local Government Act 1995 are: • To the Council, which: • Governs the local government’s affairs • Is responsible for the performance of the local governments functions, and • Is to oversee the allocation of resources and determine the local government’s policies; and • To the electors of the local government district

8. Governance and Ethical Standards • A local government councillor is expected to: • Promote and support good governance of the Council and its affairs; • Promote and support open and transparent government; • Support and adhere to respectful, appropriate and effective relationships with employees of the local government; and • Adhere to the Local Government (Rules of Conduct) Regulations 2007 and the local government’s Code of Conduct.

9. Values, Characteristics and Commitment to the Role • Openness and transparency with decision making; • Honesty and integrity in dealing with issues being considered; • Tolerance and respect in relationships at all levels; • Equality and fairness in promoting community issues; • A commitment to attend meetings and be fully prepared to participate in the decision making process; • A collegiate approach to serving the community; • A commitment to networking and community consultation; • Willingness to listen to and consider other peoples’ views and accept challenge from others; • Awareness of and management of conflicts of interest; and • Preparedness to share the workload with other councillors.

10. Personal and Role Development Willingness to participate in opportunities for local government training and development provided for elected members.

11. Skills of a Councillor • Strategic planning and decision making • Good communication and listening • Public speaking • Negotiation and conflict resolution • Community relations • Team work • Knowledge of meeting procedures • Basic financial management • Time management • Recognition of the difference between ‘governing’ and ‘managing’

12. What Decisions Do You Make as a Councillor? • Developing a strategic vision for the future of the community • Establishing a plan for the local government to meet that vision • Making decisions on land use planning • Overseeing the financial management of the local government • Developing and reviewing local government policies.

13. Governance and Management Strategic Management Operational • Strategic direction • Corporate Business Plans • Audit reviews • Budgets/Financials • Allocate resources • Policies • Employing and managing staff • Day to day operations • Manage finances • Prepare reports • Staff performing day to day duties

14. Who Can Nominate? You can nominate for council if you are: • 18 years or older • an elector of the district (more on this later)

15. Who Can Nominate? (continued 1) You are not eligible to nominate for council if you: • are a member of State or Federal Parliament • are insolvent under administration • are serving a prison sentence for a crime • have been convicted of a serious local government offence within the last five years (unless the court waived the disqualification) • have been convicted on indictment of an offence for which the indictable penalty was or included imprisonment for life; or imprisonment for more than 5 years.

16. Who Can Nominate? (continued 2) • You are also not eligible to nominate for council if you: • are a member of another council • are subject to a court order which disqualifies you from being a council member • are an elector as the nominee of a company • are already standing for a position on council (unless standing for a position of publicly elected mayor or president)

17. Who Can Nominate? (continued 3) You are an elector of the district if you: (1) live in the district, and are on the State Electoral Roll for the address where you live Or

18. Who Can Nominate? (continued 4) You are an elector of the district if you: (2) own rateable property in the district, live outside the district, and are on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll for the address where you live Or

19. Who Can Nominate? (continued 5) You are an elector of the district if you: (3) occupy rateable property in the district (for instance, as a business owner), live outside the district, and are on the State or Commonwealth Electoral Roll for the address where you live.

20. Who Can Nominate? (continued 6) Important note: If you are an owner or occupier of rateable property, but do not live in the district, you need to make an application to the relevant local government to go on the roll.

21. The Call for Nominations The Returning Officer for your local government’s elections will, between 24 August and 4 September 2013, publish an advertisement in newspapers, local government offices and libraries, calling for nominations. The notice will include: - The number of vacancies to be filled - The nomination place - The nomination period

22. The Nomination Period The nomination period runs for one week, beginning on Thursday 5 September 2013 and ending at 4.00pm on Thursday 12 September 2013

23. How to Nominate • Complete a nomination form (Form 8) OR ask an agent to complete a form for you (Form 9). A nomination using Form 9 must be accompanied by a written authorisation from you. * All forms related to local government elections come from the Local Government (Elections) Regulations 1997, and are available from the Department of Local Government and Communities website, or your local government. • Write a candidate profile. • Give or send these to the Returning Officer with $80 as a deposit between 5September and 12 September 2013. Remember that nominations close on 12 September 2013at 4.00pm.

24. The Candidate Profile • Candidate profiles are displayed on local government notice boards. Your profile: • must be written in English • must be no more than 150 words • must only include biographical information and statements about your policies or beliefs • must not contain information that is false, misleading or defamatory • must be capable of being printed on a single A4 page • must include your full name and contact details • may include a recent head, or head and shoulders, photograph of passport size.

25. Planning Your Campaign • Find out if your election is: • a Voting in Person election • or • a Postal election

26. Planning Your Campaign (continued) • In a Voting in Person election, electors generally vote in person at designated polling places on election day. (There are alternatives, but more on that later.) • Voting in Person elections are usually conducted by the local government itself, with the CEO as Returning Officer.

27. Planning Your Campaign (continued 2) • In a Postal election, voting packages are mailed to electors, who then fill in their ballot papers and return them by post. • Postal elections are conducted by the Western Australian Electoral Commission, which also appoints the Returning Officers for these elections.

28. Alternative voting methods for Voting in Person elections • Early voting is available at the place nominated by the Returning Officer in the Election Notice. • Postal voting is also available for Voting in Person elections, by making an application to the CEO of the relevant local government using Form 12. • Absent voting is available at any local government office in Western Australia from the date of issue of the Election Notice.

29. Important dates

30. Preparing Your Campaign • Make note of the important dates. • Prepare your campaign strategy. • Check your local government’s local laws regarding election signs.

31. Preparing Your Campaign (continued) • All election material must display the name and address of the person who authorised it. • All election material must display the name and address of the person or business responsible for printing it.

32. Campaigning – Voting in Person elections • Election campaigning peaks on election day. • Most voters vote on election day. • Electors may not know about the election. • You may need to appoint campaign assistants at polling places on election day.

33. Campaigning – Postal elections Campaigning needs to start early as: • 50% of electors vote within 2 days of voting packages being mailed to them. • 60% of electors vote within a week of voting packages being mailed to them. • only a small number of electors hand in their votes at a polling place on election day.

34. Campaigning Strategies include: • Getting to know your area and your neighbours • Telephoning people you know • Expanding your 150 word profile in material given to your electors • Making contact with local organisations • Responding to issues raised by electors • Giving interviews to local media • Advertising in local newspapers • Developing a website • Distributing leaflets and pamphlets

35. Declaring Donations Both you, and your donors, must disclose any donations: • of $200 or more in value • given, or promised, within 6 months prior to election day • Disclosures must be made in writing on the Disclosure of Gifts form (Form 9A) which is to be lodged with the CEO of the local government.

36. Declaring Donations (continued) On nominating for council, you and your donors must disclose any existing gifts, or promises of gifts, within 3 days. Any gifts or promises made after this must be disclosed within 3 days of being made. Any gift of $200 or more received from an unidentified donor is to be provided to the CEO for disposal.

37. Appointing Scrutineers A candidate is not permitted in the polling place other than to cast a vote. • Scrutineers are authorised by the candidate to observe the conduct of the election at the polling place and to scrutinise ballot papers at the counting of votes. • Scrutineers must not take custody of postal votes. • Appointment of scrutineers is made on Form 18, available from the Returning Officer.

38. When You’re Elected Support from the Department of Local Government and Communities for Mayors, Presidents and Councillors: • Telephone and email advice • Publications • Post election support programs for elected members

39. Department of Local Government and Communities Contact number: (08) 6551 8700 Freecall:1800 620 511 (Country Only) Advisory Hotline: 1300 762 511 Email:lghotline@dlgc.wa.gov.au

40. Stand for Council Your Vote Your Community