YOU ARE IN: Your council > Council members and meetings > Code of conduct - roles and responsibilities

Code of conduct

Contents | Summary | Introduction | Roles and responsibilities | Relationships and behaviours | Compliance and review | Appendix to the code

---

Part two: Roles and responsibilities

This part of the code describes the roles and responsibilities of elected members, the additional roles of the mayor and deputy mayor, and the role of the chief executive.

Elected members

Elected members, acting as the council, are responsible for the governance of the city, which includes:

1. developing and adopting council policy
2. monitoring the performance of the council against its stated objectives and policies
3. prudent stewardship of council resources
4. employment and monitoring the performance of the chief executive
5. representing the interests of the residents and ratepayers of Auckland City (on election, the members' first responsibility is to the district as a whole).
6. input into policy identification and development through the appropriate committee (or committees) of council.

Each member has one vote. No individual member (including the mayor) has authority to act on behalf of the council unless the council has expressly delegated such authority.

Mayor

The Mayor is the symbolic leader of the city and Chair of the Council.

The mayor is elected by the district as a whole and as one of the elected members shares the same responsibilities as other members of the council. The mayor also has the following roles:

1. to preside at council meetings. The Mayor is responsible for ensuring the orderly conduct of business during meetings (as determined in standing orders). Voting rights of the Mayor are described in the council's Standing Orders.
2. lead policy identification and development.
3. spokesperson for the council
4. advocate on behalf of the community. This role may involve promoting the community and representing its interests. Such advocacy will be most effective where it is carried out with the knowledge and support of the council
5. leadership of the committee chair's forum
6. justice of the peace (while the mayor holds office)

The mayor must follow the same rules as other elected members about making public statements and committing the council to a particular course of action, unless acting under a delegation of authority from the council and in accordance with the rules for media contact on behalf of the council.

Deputy mayor

The deputy mayor must be elected by the members of the council, at the first meeting of the council. If the mayor is absent or incapacitated the deputy mayor must perform all of the responsibilities and duties, and may exercise the powers of the mayor. The deputy mayor may be removed from office by a council resolution.

The deputy mayor provides leadership with the mayor on policy identification and development.

Committee chairpersons

The council may create one or more committees of the council. A committee chairperson presides over all meetings of the committee, ensuring that the committee acts within the powers delegated by the council, and provides leadership on policy identification and development. Committee chairpersons may be called on to act as an official spokesperson on a particular issue. They may be removed from office by a council resolution.

Voting rights of chairpersons are described in the council's Standing Orders.

Chief executive

The chief executive is the only employee of the Council, is the senior executive of the City and the employer of all staff.

The council appoints the chief executive in accordance with section 42 of the Local Government Act 2002. The chief executive is responsible for implementing and managing the council's policies and objectives within the budget established by the council. In terms of section 42 of the Act, the responsibilities of the chief executive are:

1. implementing the decisions of the council
2. providing advice to the council and community boards
3. ensuring that all responsibilities, duties and powers delegated to the chief executive or to any person employed by the chief executive, or imposed or conferred by any Act, regulation or bylaw are properly performed or exercised
4. managing the activities of the council effectively and efficiently
5. maintaining systems to enable effective planning and accurate reporting of the financial and service performance of the council
6. providing leadership for the staff of the council
7. employing staff on behalf of the council (including negotiating terms of employment for council staff)

Under section 42 of the Local Government Act 2002 the chief executive employs all other staff on behalf of the council.