Corporate Governance department

The department provides a wide range of services to the public, other parts of the Council, and councillors and manages the city archives and Edinburgh's culture and sport facilities.

Internally, it supports all areas of the Council through the human resources, e-Government (IT), communications and other functions. It is responsible for the Council's financial strategy and management, including the Council's £1billion budget and that of its joint boards. At a basic level, the department ensures that the Council's cash flow and financial resources and debts are well managed. It also takes the lead for developing policy and strategy on corporate issues such as equalities and environment.

Finally, it provides the support necessary to run Council meetings and helps councillors to carry out their roles.

What we can do for you

• Pay your Council tax
• Check your Council tax band
• Check your Council tax account online
• Apply for a Council tax discount, exemption or band reduction
• Apply for Council tax and Housing benefit
• Tell us about a change in your circumstances
• Get contact details for business rates
• Find out about and apply for benefits
• Apply for or renew a parking permit
• Report suspected benefit fraud
• Register a birth, death or marriage
• Find a venue for an event or special occasion
• Get access to the city archive
• Apply for an alcohol, taxi or public entertainment licence
• Find Council news
• Find information on Council meetings
• Find papers and minutes for Council meetings
• Find and apply for a Council job.

You might also be interested in our pages on:

• Work to keep Edinburgh a tolerant and inclusive city
• Our innovative use of technology to create a 'smart city' 

The Department has a budget of more than £100m and around 3000 staff, including over 1,500 staff in commercial trading organisations.  Its responsibilities include:

• the human resource service for the Council's workforce of over 19,000 staff
• ensuring the Council's partnership with BT delivers essential IT services to over 18,000 computers across approximately 120 Council offices and facilities
• the customer contact centre, which deals with 1.5 million enquiries a year
• managing the Council's twelve museums, galleries and monuments, which draw over 600,000 visitors per annum, as well as cultural venues such as the Usher Hall, Assembly Rooms and Church Hill Theatre, which between them hold around 300 events every year
• providing over 14,000 meals every school day in the Council's schools as well as running catering services for commercial lets and staff use
• employing over 900 cleaners across approximately 310 buildings, ranging from schools to crematoria
• fleet maintenance of nearly 1,000 Council vehicles and plant items
• collecting council tax from around 200,000 household, and business rates from around 18,000 business in the city
• dealing with at any one time around 40,000 council taxpayers who receive assistance towards payment of their council tax, as well as handling Local Housing Allowance and tackling benefit fraud
• operating a council-wide service for procurement of around £700m worth of goods and services
• administering the city region's local government pension fund (Lothian Pension Fund), which is one of the largest in the UK, with over 170 associated employers and a scheme membership of over 67,000.