What the constitution says
Our Constitution indicates that citizens have the right to:
- vote at local elections if they are registered
- contact their local councillor about any matters of concern to them
- get a copy of the council's Constitution
- attend meetings of the council and its committees except where, for example, personal or confidential matters are being discussed
- petition to request a referendum on a mayoral form of executive
- contribute to investigations by the Overview and Scrutiny Committees
- find out, from the Cabinet's Forward Plan, which major issues are to be discussed or decided by the Cabinet and when
- attend meetings of the Cabinet where key decisions are being discussed or decided
- see reports and background papers, and any record of decisions made by the Council and Cabinet
- complain to the council
- complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman if they think the council has not followed its procedures properly (however, they should only do this after using the complaint to the council process)
- complain to the Monitoring Officer if they have evidence which they think shows that a councillor has not followed the council's Code of Conduct
- inspect the council's accounts and make their views known to the external auditor
There are many practical ways you can have your say and get involved, and the council welcomes participation from individuals and groups, including participating as part of our decision-making arrangements.