Rye Town Council . . . • is a Quality Council
• continues a Mayoral tradition dating back to at least 1289
• has 16 elected Members and a 'Qualified Clerk'
• controls assets of just over £1m
• as one of its two Antient Towns, plays a full and active role in the Confederation of the Cinque Ports
• holds over 50 Council or Committee meetings a year, all of which are open to the public
• (in 2008-09) raised 49% of its annual income from sources
other than Council Tax
• employs/retains a Town Clerk, Assistant Town Clerk, Town Hall Keeper, Town Sergeant, Town Crier, Second Mace Bearer, Seamstress, and 4 Heritage Centre Sales/Counter Clerks
• is the custodian of the Rye Town Model and the world famous Rye Gibbet Cage – containing the remains of John Breads, a local butcher who, in 1742, mistakenly murdered the Deputy Mayor (his intended victim was the Mayor!)
• owns and maintains a town hall, heritage centre, skate park, playing field and cottage
• is one of a diminishing number of councils in the UK still to require its councillors and staff to wear robes and regalia at council meetings
• publishes, within
Rye Fixtures, a quarterly newsletter
• nominates representatives to serve on over 20 local voluntary, public and community organisations
• holds monthly Councillor surgeries and hosts a monthly MP surgery
• hosts around 50 wedding and civil partnership ceremonies every year
• comments on over 100 planning applications per annum
• initiated the Rye Local Action Plan, the Rye Local Action Team (crime & safety) and Rye Emergency Planning Group (REACT)
• maintains two web sites:
www.ryetowncouncil.gov.uk and
www.ryeheritage.co.uk