A quick guide to local democracy

Local democracy is the lifeblood of how essential services are run in West Sussex. 

The county council is one of 163 local authorities at 3 levels in the county:

• West Sussex County Council
• 7 district and borough councils
• 155 town and parish councils 

All councils have different responsibilities and work together to provide for more than 915,000 residents. 

West Sussex is part of national plans to devolve powers and reorganise councils that will change the current structure of local government across the county. 

Until then, the 3 levels of local government continue to deliver a range of different services to meet the needs of West Sussex residents. 

The county council is responsible for more than 300 services in West Sussex including:

• adults’ and children’s social care
• roads
• public health
• fire and rescue
• schools and education
• libraries
• trading standards
• developing the local economy
• recycling and disposing of waste

County councillors are elected to make decisions about local services on behalf of the people they represent. 

West Sussex is made up of 70 county council divisions, each of which is a community of about 13,000 people. 

Each division is represented by one councillor, who is elected by that community.  

In May 2026, more than 321,650 people voted in the West Sussex County Council elections. 

At 47%, this was the highest turnout since 2005. 

Most councillors are members of a political group:

• Liberal Democrat: 23 councillors
• Reform UK: 23 councillors
• Conservative: 11 councillors
• Green: 7 councillors
• Labour: 5 councillors

There is also one independent councillor, for the Local Alliance in Selsey. 

More on county councillors

Poster of county councillors and the areas they represent

The political make-up of the county council

Results of previous elections

All 70 county councillors take a seat on the council and meet regularly as a full council. 

At Full Council meetings, councillors debate issues, decide policies and set the budget. 

Full Council meetings are run by the Chair, who is the apolitical ceremonial head of the council. 

A cross-party alliance was formed to run the council. 

Led by the Liberal Democrats, it brings together the Green and Labour groups together with the independent councillor.

•    The Chair is Cllr Donna Johnson 
•    The Vice-Chair is Cllr Nigel Dennis 
•    The Leader of the Council is Cllr Jay Mercer 
•    The Deputy Leader is Cllr Sam Raby 

The leader appoints councillors to form a cabinet, also known as the Executive. 

Each cabinet member leads on an area of council services. 

The cabinet meets to propose and make decisions. 

All key decisions are published ahead of time for review. 

This year the county council has a budget of over £2.3 billion to spend on running day-to-day services, and plans to invest an addition £142.3m in long-term projects. 

Our Council Plan sets the priorities for the council and what we want to achieve. 

A county councillor’s day often begins with emails from residents, listening to concerns about roads, schools and other local services. 

Councillors speak for their communities, raise issues with council officers and push for solutions. 

Some attend scrutiny committees to question decisions, hold the Cabinet to account and improve services.

All councillors spend time preparing for Full Council meetings where they debate issues and represent their communities’ views.  

At these meetings, councillors can raise motions to propose actions for the council to take. 

Most councillors balance this work with full-time jobs, their families, and other commitments. 

Many are also councillors at district, borough, town and parish councils across West Sussex.

Find and contact your local councillor

Watch council meetings

Suggest a topic for scrutiny

Petition the county council

Upcoming and previous council decisions

Have your say in our consultations

Comment on traffic regulation orders (legal documents that allow the council to manage roads)

Sign up for council newsletters

There are 9 members of parliament (MPs) representing constituencies in West Sussex on national issues at Westminster. 

The 7 district and borough councils in West Sussex are responsible for services including environmental health, housing, leisure, waste collection, planning permissions and more. 

Parish and town councils in West Sussex are responsible for services including allotments, bus shelters, cemeteries, and some public spaces. In areas of the county where there are no parish or town councils, these functions are run by the district or borough council.