Question

Does the PC Chairman and /or vice have to be a member of all committees although not acting as Chair etc ?

Answer 1

All depends on what your standing orders say on the matter. The PC chair only chairs the PC meetings. I know some councils have the chair presiding on all committees but that is the choice of the council when voting on a committees formation and its terms of reference in standing orders. Nothing stopping chair or vice chair being on any committee as is their choice as a councillor. Each committee democratically elect the chair for that committee.

Comments

Thank you . Having checked,  our standing orders do indeed say that the Chair and vice ( ex -officio ) are to sit on all committees and working parties so will look to get the SO changed .

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As a Town Council Chair I can automatically be on all 5 committees. I do, but not because I can but because I want to. I have accumulated a lot of knowledge, through training, research and also this great forum. It often comes in very useful at committees as well as full council. I am currently chair of one committee, mainly because no-one else wants to be! I am hoping to be chair of the newly formed HR committee. Why? Because I have in my pre-retired life worked in management, have knowledge about employment law, ran 2 businesses, and dealt with numerous staff including target setting and appraisals. I firmly believe that committees should choice the best person for the job to be their Chair. If that person happens to be the chair of the town/parish council I don't see that it matters.

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Our concern is the presence of the Parish Chairman or Vice in every working group  dictated by the SO. Although they may not be chosen as Chair of any  particular group , it's felt by many of my fellow councillors  that their presence influences and inhibits  participation levels. If the Clerk, Parish Chair and Vice are involved in & drive everything the current feeling amongst councillors is why are we needed ?  Changing the SO  would in my opinion be the solution but I'm unlikely to get that past the Clerk,Chair and Vice onto the agenda without support of other councillors.

Answer 2

Our standing orders make the Parish Chairman an ex-officio member of every committee.
We try to avoid Committee chairs being held by the Parish Chair, but this more custom than a rule, for very small parishes this might not be possible.