Councillors

Solihull borough is divided into 17 wards and the Council is composed of 51 Members with one-third elected three years in four. Councillors are democratically accountable to residents of their ward. It is a voluntary occupation but they do get expenses.

Councillors are elected members of the local community. They have a duty to the whole community and of course a special duty to their constituents who they represent. All Members meet together as the Council and these meetings are usually open to the public. At these meetings, Members decide the Council's overall policies and set the budget for each year. The Council appoints a Leader of the Council, currently Ken Meeson, who then appoints a Cabinet of 6 other Members. The Council appoints Overview and Scrutiny Boards to hold the Cabinet to account and to advise the Council on the adoption of the overall Policy Framework of the Council.

Council Members also sit on various committees, such as Education, Housing, Planning and Social Services.

The Council also has people working for it, officers, to give advice, implement decisions and manage the day-to-day delivery of its services and to ensure that the Council acts within the law.

Meriden constituency is divided into 9 wards:

Bickenhill
Blythe (covers both Meriden and Solihull parliamentary constituency)
Castle Bromwich
Chelmsley Wood
Dorridge and Hockley Heath
Kingshurst and Fordbridge
Knowle
Meriden
Smith's Wood

To find out which ward you live in and who your councillors look on the Council website

www.solihull.gov.uk/content/wards/findward.htm