Local
Councillor Rooney explained In Sheffield, there are 84 elected Councillors. There are three Councillors for each of the 28 Wards in the City. In May 2008 the Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the Council and the number of Councillors for each Party is:-
- Liberal Democrat – 44
- Labour – 36
- Green – 3
- Independent – 1
A cabinet of 10 councillors make all the major decisions of how money is to be spent across the city.
Councillor Rooney then took questions from the Student Councillors:
What does a councillor do?
Big things and little things! The big things could be making decisions about housing, roads, parks, provision for young people, benefits and the ‘little’ things could be, making sure a landlord repairs a householder’s broken window
Do you work as well as being a Councillor? How much time do you spend being a Councillor?
No I don’t have a job as well as being a Councillor as I find I spend 24/7 fulfilling my obligations. I hold a ’surgery’(a way for members of the public to speak directly to their councillor)on the following days-
2nd Tuesday of every month at Housteads Elderly Persons Home, Richmond, 3rd Saturday of every month at Woodhouse Library and the 4th Saturday of every month at the Handsworth Parish Centre
How long is your term of office and what would you do if you lost your seat?
A Councillors term of office is four years. The local elections are being held on May 6th this year and I would be devastated if I wasn’t re-elected as it has been my life for the last 14 years
Are pollution levels better or worse since Veolia starting using the Energy Centre to get rid of our waste?
Pollution levels are worse, but not because of the Veolia Energy Centre as the waste incinerated there heats 14 large buildings and stops waste going to landfill. Pollution levels are high at the moment because of the amount of cars on the road. The cars cannot flow freely so wait in traffic queues with their engines running which pollutes the air
To be a good Councillor do you need a strong political conscience or a stronger social conscience?
Having a strong social conscience first and then a political conscience will follow. Knowing the difference between right and wrong is the most important thing for a councillor and then acting accordingly. Being a councillor is almost like a religion. Doing right by people is good as you will be judged by what you leave behind
Would you be able to get rid of the potholes in the road which been left after the snow and ice as they are very dangerous for cyclists
If there is a large hole near your house you will need to inform the council but they are aware of the condition of the roads after the bad weather and have applied to the Government for extra money to do the repairs. The work will begin to repair EVERY road in Sheffield but will take 15 years to complete
There are some gangs in Richmond Park which I find intimidating – are you able to do anything about moving them on?
Yes we are aware that gangs in the park are intimidating so we are placing Community officers in the park to allow those who want to enjoy the facilities the chance to do so without interference from those who want to mess about
We (the Student Council) are working with the Salvation Army in trying to set up a Youth Club in Woodhouse. Would you be able to help us with this project?
Yes I am already involved with this project and am helping to make sure that all the agencies involved are aware of what is happening and who is doing what so the work is not duplicated
I waste a lot of time waiting for a number 10 bus which is always late – can you do anything about this?
No – its difficult as the buses are currently run to make a profit and are seen as transport for the public and NOT public transport. In future this will change as talks are in progress that the users will be able to determine the service and the providers will be obligated to comply
Are you able to increase the number of Police/Community Officers on the streets to make them safer?
No, but we can recommend where more are needed
As a Councillor what have you done that you are most proud of?
The thing that I am personally most proud of is the warm welcome that we gave to the Burmese refugees who came to our City under the United Nations High Commission for Refugees ‘Gateway’ programme
How does the council show it listens to young people?
The council is involved in running the UK Youth Parliament elections(young people stand for election on a personal manifesto, young people across the city vote for them and the elected representatives have the opportunity to go down to the Houses Of Parliament to take part in a debate) [nb. The City School has taken part in these elections for the past two years]
If you go to a Youth Club or have contact with a Connexions advisor and mention something that you’d like changing, the request would be relayed back to the council for action
How old do you have to be to be a councillor?
Yes as the minimum age to be a councillor is 18 but I was a lot older than that as I used to sit in the pub putting the world to rights until someone suggested I join the labour Party. I started taking the minutes at meetings and stood for election when a seat became vacant-that was 14 years ago…
Do you have to have any qualifications to become a councillor?
No formal qualifications are required but you need:-
- Patience
- Respect
- Time
- Commitment
- The ability to LISTEN is very important
Always remember being a councillor it is a very honoured position as you are one of only 84 elected people representing the views of the 500,000 citizens of Sheffield
At the next meeting, our Student Councellors will be welcoming Mr Paul Whittaker, City School Governor
