The Clerk is the Parish Council’s senior professional officer. They are employed by the Council as a whole, not by the Chair or by individual Councillors, and their role is independent, impartial and non-political.
At St. Agnes Parish Council, the Clerk is the Council’s Proper Officer, carrying out key legal and administrative duties on behalf of the Council. The Clerk is also the Responsible Financial Officer, with responsibility for the proper management of the Council’s finances, financial procedures, budget monitoring and statutory financial reporting.
The Clerk manages the day-to-day administration of the Council and helps ensure its work is carried out lawfully, effectively and in line with statutory requirements. This includes advising Councillors on governance, procedure, policy and legal matters; implementing Council decisions; managing staff; overseeing services, projects, land and assets; and supporting the proper management of public funds. The Clerk also works with Cornwall Council, government bodies, community organisations and other partners to help the Council deliver local services, support community priorities and plan responsibly for the future of the parish.
The Clerk works closely with the Chair. The Chair leads Council meetings and helps ensure discussion is fair, orderly, and focused. The Clerk supports this by providing professional advice, preparing the business for meetings, and helping ensure that decisions are lawful, clear and properly recorded. Together, the Chair and Clerk help the Council operate effectively, but decisions are made by the Council as a whole.
As parish and town councils take on more services, assets and responsibilities, the Clerk’s role has become increasingly professional and varied. It combines governance, finance, administration, staff management, service oversight and community partnership working, all in support of the Council’s work for local residents.