What is the system of local government in Oxford?
Oxfordshire has a two-tier system of local government. This means that your council services are provided by two different councils. We (Oxford City Council) run services such as planning, leisure and waste collection, while Oxfordshire County Council is responsible for running services such as libraries, schools and social care.
We are a District Council and are the democratically-elected body for Oxford. In Oxfordshire, there is one county council (Oxfordshire County Council) and five district councils (Oxford City Council, Cherwell, South Oxfordshire, Vale of White Horse and West Oxfordshire).
Which area of Oxfordshire is Oxford City Council responsible for?
You can see a map of the boundaries of Oxford below:
Map of Oxford Boundaries (525kB PDF)
Visit the District Councils page of the Oxfordshire County Council website to find out which district council is responsible for your services if you do not live within the boundaries of Oxford.
Which services are run by Oxford City Council and which are run by Oxfordshire County Council?
In partnership with others, we provide a wide range of services for approximately 150,000 residents, 83,000 people who work in Oxford and 7.5 million people who visit the city every year. For a general list of how services in Oxford are split between Oxford City Council and Oxfordshire County Council, please see the table below:
| Oxford City Council | Oxfordshire County Council |
| Planning | Schools |
| Council Housing | Social Services |
| Homelessness | Older People |
| Houses in Multiple Occupation Licensing | Adult Learning |
| Housing Options Advice | Major Roads |
| Council Tax Collection | Libraries |
| Council Tax and Housing Benefits | Children and Young People |
| Business Rates (NNDR) | Fire Service |
| Environmental Health | Waste Recycling Centres and Waste Disposal |
| Licensing | Trading Standards |
| Recycling and Waste Collection | Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages |
| Leisure Centres and Facilities | Street Lighting |
| Building Control | 2 Park & Ride Sites |
| Minor Roads | Transport Planning |
| 3 Park & Ride Sites | Carers' Support |
| Street Cleaning | Residents' Parking Permits |
| Parks | On-street Parking |
| Community Group Grants | Youth Offending Service |
| Community Wardens and Park Rangers | Music Service |
| Markets and Fairs | Concessionary Bus Passes |
| Oxford Safer Communities Partnership | |
| Anti-social Behaviour | |
| Tourism | |
| Cemeteries | |
| Car Parks | |
| Community Centres | |
| Public Toilets | |
| Street Furniture | |
| Electoral Registration |
Visit the Oxfordshire County Council website for more information about their services.
Where can I find out how Oxford City Council works?
Visit our How the Council Works page for details on this subject.
Council Posts
- The Leader of Oxford City Council is Councillor Bob Price
- The Lord Mayor of Oxford is Councillor Dee Sinclair
- The Deputy Lord Mayor of Oxford is Councillor Tony Brett
- The Sheriff of Oxford is Councillor Mohammed Abbasi
Political Make-up of the Council
Oxford City Council's current political make-up is as follow:
| Party |
Number of Seats |
| Labour |
29 seats |
| Liberal Democrat |
13 seats |
| Green |
5 seats |
| Independent |
1 seat |
The Labour Group currently run the administration at Oxford City Council.
Executive Board Responsibilities (All Labour Party Members)
- Councillor Bob Price (Leader - Corporate Governance, Strategic Partnerships and Economic Development)
- Councillor Ed Turner (Deputy Leader - Finance, Efficiency and Strategic Asset Management)
- Councillor Susan Brown (Benefits and Customer Services)
- Councillor Colin Cook (City Development)
- Councillor Bev Clack (Youth and Communities)
- Councillor Pat Kennedy (Education, Crime and Community Safety)
- Councillor Mark Lygo (Parks, Sport and Events)
- Councillor Mike Rowley (Leisure Services)
- Councillor Scott Seamons (Housing)
- Councillor John Tanner (Cleaner, Greener Oxford)
Opposition Shadow Responsibilities (All Liberal Democrat Members)
- Councillor Mohammed Altaf-Khan (Stronger Communities)
- Councillor Tony Brett (Crime and Community Safety)
- Councillor Jim Campbell (Parks and Sports, Education and the Covered Market)
- Councillor Jean Fooks (Corporate Governance and Strategic Partnerships)
- Councillor John Goddard (City Development)
- Councillor Michael Gotch (Energy Policy (including the planning environment) and representative on the Carbon and Natural Resources Board)
- Councillor Graham Jones (Cleaner Greener Oxford)
- Councillor Stuart McCready (Housing Needs)
- Councillor Mark Mills (Finance and Efficiency)
- Councillor David Rundle (Regeneration, Culture and Leisure)
- Councillor Gwynneth Royce (Older People and Dial-a-Ride)
- Councillor Ruth Wilkinson (Customer Services)
Councillors
- Map of Ward Boundaries (518kB PDF)
- Find your local councillor
