Cllr Keith R Mitchell  CBE

This page was last updated 05-08-2011

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Membership

Services Finances & Council Tax

The County Council consists of 74 members, elected every four years for Electoral Divisions.

There is one three-member Division; sixteen two-member Divisions and thirty nine single- member Divisions.  A single member Division contains approx 6,500 electors; a two-member Division contains approx 13,000 electors and the three-member Division (Bicester) contains approx 19,500 electors.

The political balance of the County Council is:

Party

No

Conservative

52

Liberal-Democrat

10

Labour

9

Green

2

Independent

1

Total:

74

The Council's Administration is drawn from the majority Group.

For the May 2013 elections, new boundaries will apply and there will be 63 County Councillors. The Local Government Boundary Commission is currently consulting on details of the changes. 

The following is a list of the main services provided by the County Council:

Children, Young People & FamiliesChild working in classroom

Nursery provision

Schools

School transport

Special needs

Child protection

Family centres

Social & Community Services

Domiciliary care

Residential care

Learning disability

Mental health

Adult education

Libraries, museums and archives

Environment & Economy

Highways maintenance

Transport policy

Public transport subsidy

Waste disposal

Minerals planning

Strategic planning

Economic development (including Banbury Job Club)

Community Safety

Fire & rescue service

Emergency planning

Trading standards

Gypsies & travellers

Registration service

Liaison with Thames Valley Police

Corporate Core

Democratic services

Member support

Shared services

Lord Lieutenancy

In 2011/12, the County Council will spend £939m of your money

This is where it came from:

Source: 2011/ 12 2010/ 11

£m

£m

Central government:    
  Specific grants 471

526

  Revenue support grant 29

13

  Business Rates 93

93

sub-total

593 632
Council tax: 287

284

Income and charges: 59

57

Total: 

939 973

And this is how it is spent:

Service:

2011/ 12

2010/ 11

£m

£m

Children & families

540

582

Social & community

256

255

Environment & economy

95

83

Corporate Core

10

13

Strategic Measures

38

40

Total: 

939

973

In addition, there is a Capital Programme for 2011/12 of £78m of which £42m is for Children & Families (mainly spent on schools) and £30m is for Environment & Economy (of which £19m will be  spent on transport).

Given the recent debate about MPs' expenses, you may be interested to know that:

bullet

the County Council has always published details of the allowances (a sort of salary, subject to tax and national insurance) paid to County Councillors and the expenses they are allowed to claim.  These can be found on the County Council's Web Site, both for the financial year that has just ended and for previous years, at the following address:  http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/links/public/allowances

bullet

the County Council publishes details of members' allowances and expenses paid on a monthly basis;

bullet

I have uploaded my detailed expense claims onto this web site and you can see day-by-day what I have claimed for over the last five years of the council.  All items claimed for have to be evidenced by receipts, train tickets, hotel bills etc - quite rightly.

bullet

I have also set out what I am paid as a County Councillor, as a Cabinet Member and as Leader of the Council.

 

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