The Town Council
Your Town Councillors are here to help and to represent you. Find out what they do by reading the agendas and minutes and how you can have your say in local matters. If we aren't the correct authority to deal with your query, we will happily point you in the right direction, and represent you if necessary. You can contact the Town Clerk here.The Mayor and Deputy Mayor
The Mayor and Deputy Mayor, along with the committee chairs, are elected at the Council's Annual General Meeting in May each year. The Mayor chairs the Full Council meetings and acts as the representative of the Town Council at external meetings and events.The Mayor is Councillor David Knowles, who has been a county councillor for many years, and the Deputy Mayor is Councillor David Woodward, a retired police officer. Should you wish to contact the Mayor or Deputy Mayor you can do so via the contact us page.
What do we do?
Parish and town councils are the first tier of local government. They are statutory bodies that can deliver a vast range of services at a community level. There are around 10,000 community, parish and town councils in England and Wales, made up of nearly 100,000 councillors. Members are elected for a term of four years and councils are funded principally by an annual precept that is added to council tax, collected by the local principal authorities. In this case the Isle of Wight Council. Parish and town councils can apply for other funding such as grant and funding awards, but they do not receive funds direct from central government, as principal authorities do. For details of the powers and responsibilities of a town council please click here.Ryde Town Council was newly established in May 2008. The Council delivers projects such as the town's hanging baskets scheme, is responsible for decorative lighting and works hard to market the town as a great place to live and visit through projects such as the Ryde Town Map, It provides financial support for local groups, charities and events such as the Ryde Rowing Club Regatta, Ryde Regatta and Ryde Carnival. For details of how to apply for a grant please click here.