Cabinet
Cabinet 2009/10
Councillor Bird - Leader of the Council
Overall responsibility for Vision for 2008, the corporate plan, communications and public relations, city region agenda, government relations and liaison with local MPs and West Midlands leaders. Local Area Agreement and Local Strategic Partnership.
Councillor Andrew - Deputy Leader of the Council
- Regeneration
Economic development, urbanregeneration company (URC), physical development, environmental regeneration, markets, property, New Deal for Communities (NDC), Black Country Consortium, West Midlands regeneration issues. Town and district centres. Planning policy and local development framework.
Councillor Walker - Children’s services
Education services including relationship with Education Walsall, social services for children, safeguarding and promoting welfare of children, looked after children and corporate parenting, care leavers, interagency cooperation, involvement of children and young people, youth parliament, children’s trust arrangements, youth offending services, youth service, summer activities programme, school meals, school music services.
Councillor Perry - Communities and partnerships
Local neighbourhood partnerships, community engagement and consultation, local area plans, community associations, community safety agenda, Safer Walsall Partnership, equalities and diversity, voluntary and community sectors, customer contact.
Councillor Arif - Business support services
Performance Management, strategic procurement, risk management and information technology.
Councillor Flower - Environment
Waste management, clean and green agenda, sustainability, environmental health, cemeteries and crematoria, licensing, pollution control, Coroner Service and Registrars.
Councillor Towe - Finance and personnel
Strategic and operational financial management, insurance and policy led budgeting. Financial regulations, audit, legal services, constitutional services; Mayor’s office. Human resources and organisational development (including Member development).
Councillor Sanders - Leisure and culture
Parks, leisure and culture services including the Art Gallery, libraries, adult learning, sports, museums and twinning.
Councillor McCracken - Social care, health and housing
Care services for older people and people with learning disabilities, people with physical disabilities and people with mental health needs, health partnership and the public health agenda, community meals and supporting people. Strategic housing role, housing partnerships, private sector housing, homelessness, and relationship with Walsall Housing Group (WHG).
Councillor Ansell - Transport
Traffic and transportation, car parks, gateways and corridors, strategic transport and highways.
The role of the Cabinet
The Local Government Act 2000, requires that every local authority must have an executive at the centre of the decision making process to carry out all those functions which are not the responsibility of any other part of the local authority and to play a key role in preparing the council’s budget and policy framework. Of the three options available under the act, the Council opted for the leader and cabinet executive model. The council therefore appoints a leader at the annual council meeting, together with at least 2 and up to 9 members of the cabinet. Portfolios are also agreed and allocated to members of the cabinet by the council, on the recommendation of the leader. The cabinet and its members have wide-ranging leadership roles. In particular, they need to:-
- Prepare the local authority’s policies and budgetTake decisions on resources and priorities
- Deliver and implement the budget and policies by the council
- Be the focus for forming partnerships with other organisations in the borough to address local needs
- Respond to any recommendations and reports from scrutiny and performance panels
- Respond to the needs and aspirations of local communities
The cabinet meets on a 3 weekly basis at the Council House or other location agreed by the leader in accordance with the timetable of meetings approved by the council at its annual meeting. Meetings normally take place in public.
All functions which are the responsibility of the cabinet are dealt with on a collective decision making basis, notwithstanding that individual members of the cabinet have specific portfolio responsibilities. The cabinet, however, can arrange for its functions to be exercised through committees of the cabinet or by officers.
Decisions of the cabinet are published normally within 2 days following the meeting.
View minutes and agendas on our committee information website
This page was last updated on 22 February 2010