ABOUT COMMUNITY COUNCILLORS
(subject to edit)
Community Councillors are basically guardians of community property - including communiy centres. They are elected at the same time as Neath Port Talbot County Borough Councillors, every 4-5 years. Usually, elections take place at the same time as a General Election.
Community Councillors are unpaid and get no allowances for their services.
Within each council a chairman is voted into office by fellow councillors for a period of one year. With Neath Town Council this office is classified as the Mayor of Neath (not to be confused with the Mayor of Neath Port Talbot).
The most dedecated counciil members are those who hold office in both a community council and the NPT Borough Council (there are a limited number) who have the advantage of knowing what is going on in both councils. Their knowledge and wisdom are often an asset.
Each Community Council employs a full time/part time clerk who is paid for his/her services, which include taking bookings and managing the community centres on their patch
The clerk of the council (the responsible financial officer) is also responsible for community centre caretakers and groundsmen - both paid jobs. Annual accounts must be presented to the council, which are subject to an independent audit.
The revenue for each council is by means of a precept of the council tax paid by each household to NPT Council. The average amount is around £50 per annum and is related to the band of the property. This figure can vary from council to council. The actual figure is shown on the householder's annual statement sent out from the NPT Council.
