Town Councillors are unpaid elected representatives who volunteer their time to work on behalf of the community.
The exception to being an elected member occurs when a member is co-opted on to the council. This process involves the position being advertised in the community and eligible candidates being interviewed by the rest of the council to decide if they are suitable.
Depending on their interests or specialisms, some councillors sit on committees, or join working groups. Working groups tend to be less visible, reporting regularly on progress at monthly meetings. A good example was the Pontoon working group in 2016 who achieved success by providing access for small, unpowered craft to the River Colne and more recently in 2020, the Basketball Court working group who have worked hard to upgrade the facilities at the KGV Playing Field.
The role of Mayor is held for twelve months and typically they will attend something like 250 civic events during the year. This includes representing Wivenhoe at various external events and providing an opportunity to build relationships with other towns. He or she works hard to raise money for the Mayors Fund distributed during the Annual Town Meeting to various organisations in the community. The Mayor also chairs monthly Full Council meetings alongside involvement in other committees and working groups. Most Mayors describe their year as being very enjoyable but hard work.
