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On these pages you can find out about the way decisions are taken by the council, and how you can participate
in the process.
The council has a Leader
and Cabinet, sometimes known as the Executive, which is where most decisions, including key decisions, are made. The
Executive must publish a Forward Plan, which sets out decisions that it intends to take over the following four months.
The full City Council is
responsible for agreeing the budget and capital spending programme for the council, and sets key policies.
Councillors who are not in the Cabinet (Executive) can take part in Overview
and Scrutiny. Overview and Scrutiny does not make decisions, but can be involved in the council’s
work in other ways. It can suggest ways to improve policies, budget and services. It also has a role in holding
the Cabinet to account for its decisions and the wider performance of public services in the city.
Further details of the process can be found in the City Council Constitution,
which sets out how the council operates, how decisions are made, and the procedures which are followed to ensure that these
are efficient, transparent and accountable to local people.
Agendas, reports, minutes and
records of formal decisions taken by Committees of the council can be viewed or downloaded from these pages. You can
also find out the membership and who are the Chairs and Vice Chairs for each committee.
Most Committee meetings are open to the public, and at city council members of the public may ask questions of
the Leader and Cabinet, or submit a petition for
consideration at a meeting of the Council.
The Lord Mayor is
the First Citizen of Stoke-on-Trent, and with this comes a high profile role in promoting and maintaining the interests of
the city and its people. This is a ceremonial, not political, role.