Full Council meets once a month and gives individual councillors
the opportunity to raise important issues. It is a forum where
councillors can exercise their representative function, and one
which can underpin policy formulation and performance review. It
deals with matters such as:
- holding the
Cabinet to account for its actions, policy and
direction;
- considering reports from
Leader of the Council and the chairmen of the
scrutiny committees;
- written and verbal questions raised by individual
councillors;
- considering formal proposals (called 'notices of motion')
submitted by councillors;
- questions raised on the minutes of meetings of the Cabinet,
committees and sub-committees;
- approving the Council's policy framework;
- agreeing the Council's budget and setting the Council
Tax;
- ruling on decisions that have been
'called in';
- making decisions referred to it which are outside the budget or
policy framework;
- adopting and changing the
Constitution;
- electing the Leader of the Council,
Chairman and
Vice-chairman;
- making appointments to outside bodies.
In February each year, it meets to approve the Council's budget
for the forthcoming financial year and sets the Council Tax. It
elects the Leader of the Council, Chairman and Vice-chairman at its
Annual Meeting in May.
All 55 councillors can attend Full Council and meetings are
chaired by the Chairman of the Council. Full details about the
role and responsibilities of Full Council can be found in the
Council's Constitution.