The council's role
The council is run for and on behalf of the people of South Tyneside and the council’s assets belong, collectively, to the people of the borough.
The council's role is to champion and represent the social, economic and environmental well-being of the area. This role as a community leader is based on the council's position as the locally elected democratic body.
Our aim is to work for our community in an open and transparent way and keep local people informed and involved in all we do.
There are two types of people who play a role in the council’s work.
Councillors
Councillors, often referred to as members – meaning members of the council, are elected by the people of South Tyneside, to oversee the running of the borough on their behalf.
It is important to note that councillors are not employees of the council and are not paid a salary. Many have full-time jobs and their council work is done in their spare time.
Councillors are the elected representatives of the people and they have to put themselves up for re-election after each four-year term they serve, if they wish to remain a councillor.
There are a total of 54 councillors in South Tyneside, with 3 representing each of the 18 wards that the borough is split into.
Councillors do not receive a salary or wage from the council, but they are entitled to receive a members allowance for the work they do.
Find your councillors
More about members' allowances
Employees of the council
Employees of the council, usually referred to as officers in the case of white collar employee, give advice to councillors, manage and deliver the everyday services that the council provides and implement the decisions that councillors make on behalf of the people of the borough. As employees, they are paid a salary or wage to do this work.
Councillors discuss and make decisions on a wide range of issues. They do this through a formal committee structure. Different committees have different functions. The council itself decides on the budget and certain high level policies (known as the Policy Framework). The cabinet is responsible for most day-to-day decisions but must take these within the budget and policy framework set by the council.