Democracy and elections
Borough Council Elections
To elect Councillors for the Borough Council. The Borough council is responsible for services in the Borough of Bedford only. These include: Council Tax collection, electoral registration, environmental health, housing, leisure, rubbish collection, local planning and roads cleaning.
There are 54 Councillors – between one and three for each ward in the Borough depending on the size of the ward. You vote for the candidates in the ward you are registered under. Borough Councillors are elected every four years. Elections are held for a third of the total number of councillors each year.
Bedford Borough also has an elected Mayor who is responsible for drawing up the budget for the Council, as well as a large number of key strategies / policies which are then considered for approval by the full Council. The mayor is elected every four years. The next election is due in May 2011. Everyone in the Borough votes for one candidate, although in a Mayoral Election you have a 1st and 2nd preference vote.
RELATED PAGES
Clerks to Parish Councils
Role of a Councillor
Urban Community Councils
Parish Council Elections
County Council Elections
General Elections
European Elections