What does a City of Bakersfield councilmember do?

The special election for Ward 5 city councilmember will be held Tuesday, June 6.

A councilmember is responsible for setting the policy of a city, setting the direction of the city, and giving direction to the City Manager.

They vote on land use approvals, ordinance approvals, and resolutions.

Councilmembers get paid $100 a month, plus they are given a mileage allowance and a couple other perks like free health insurance, if they want it.

“A lot of people don’t realize how much time it takes to be a city councilmember," Russell Johnson, former councilmember for Ward 7, said. "I would spend 20 hours a week easy doing city councilmember responsibilities.”

Bakersfield has seven city councilmembers representing seven different wards.

Ward 5 is in Southwest Bakersfield and spans from Taft Highway in the south to Brimhall Road in the north and includes a lot of neighborhoods west of Ashe Road.