The realities of being a councillor were laid bare to 12 prospective election candidates on Thursday night.
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The dozen attended Orange City Council's first information session of 2021 ahead of the September 4 poll.
Orange mayor Reg Kidd said councillors could expect to devote a lot of their time to the role.
"If you want to be a really good one you need to spend 15-24 hours a week on it," he said.
Cr Kidd said there was more to the role than attending the two council meetings each month.
"We have 24 advisory committees, some councillors could be out every single night of the week," he said.
"It is part of your life.
"It is what you put into it, some councillors only attend the two council meetings a month."
Cr Kidd said while councillors would be involved in a range of issues some of the more basic topics dominated residents' concerns.
"The footpaths, the rubbish and the roads are the ones you get the most questions on," he said.
Lithgow councillor, and the president of the Australian Local Government Women's Association of NSW, Cass Coleman, said it was constant.
"I go to Coles to do my groceries, people approach me. You are never really off. I'm bailed up everywhere I go," she said.
Moira Sheehan, a Local Government NSW facilitator, told the meeting social media was becoming an important tool for councillors.
She said some mayors in Sydney had their own YouTube channel to communicate to the public.
Ms Sheehan said it was important for candidates to be visible in the community.
She said nominations for the poll closed at noon on August 4 with the ballot paper draw to take place the next day.
Ms Sheehan said the council election by legislation should be held on the second Saturday in September but this year the date had been moved to the first Saturday.
"I rang the minister's office and they said 'September 11, it's not a great day to have an election," she said.
Both Cr Kidd and Ms Sheehan said it was important candidates did not stand on a single issue.
Another information session, for women considering becoming councillors, will be held at the council chambers on Saturday from 10am-3pm.
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