What to consider before becoming a councillor

There are a few considerations you will need to make before you take on the responsibility of being a councillor including:

• you work for the people in your ward, but you work for them in partnership with the Council and its officers
• how your role as a councillor will impact on any family and personal relationships, as you may be spending a lot of your spare time dealing with Council business and will need their support
• you will be a member of at least one committee or be on the Cabinet (nearly all committee meetings are held in the evening)
• your meetings/commitments may not be evenly spread out over the cycle, so some weeks you may be out at more times than others
• if you are elected as a chair, spokesperson or member of the Cabinet, the role can be very demanding, as you will take responsibility for making decisions that affect the lives of the people of Solihull
• the people you represent will look to you for help in dealing with their problems which means you are likely to receive a lot of post, emails and telephone calls, and not every caller will telephone at a reasonable hour
• most Councillors hold at least one drop-in surgery each month, while others hold two or three
• you may spend some of your time visiting constituents at their homes, or at the Council offices, and you may also have to meet with Council Officers to help you with any issues
• there are approximately eight Full Council meetings a year which you will be expected to attend (most meetings start at 5:30pm or 6:00pm and can last up to three hours, and sometimes longer - details can be found on our website)
• for most of the meetings you attend there will be agendas and reports that you will need to read beforehand which can be quite detailed and take time to read and understand

While campaigning, all candidates should refer to and follow the Electoral Commission’s guidance for candidates and agents. Candidates should avoid statements that suggest you will not consider evidence or officer advice at the decision-making stage. 

For example, do not say: “I will vote against X no matter what” or similar wording. Instead, use phrases like: “I have concerns about this proposal, but I will consider all evidence before making a decision.”

Considerations if you are a member of a political party

There will be additional calls on your time to attend political group meetings. 

Political groups require their members to attend group meetings in advance of Council meetings and possibly training events/seminars organised by the political party.

Will I get paid for my duties?

There is no salary for being a councillor. However, you will be paid an allowance to reimburse you for the time and expenses incurred whilst on Council business. 

Every councillor is entitled to a basic allowance (£12,813 for the year 2025/26) which is paid into a bank account in 12 monthly instalments. You will also be reimbursed for Council-related travelling and subsistence when carrying out ‘approved duties’.

Some councillors are given an additional allowance to cover any special responsibilities such as cabinet member or Scrutiny chair/spokesperson. You can read further information about the Council’s allowances scheme.