BOASTING an annual budget of more than £2 billion, Essex County Council is one of the largest local authorities in the UK.
With all this cash, they are in charge of schools, roads, social care, libraries – and much more.
Yet with the county council elections looming, a Chronicle survey of 346 people reveals two-thirds do not even known there is a poll on May 2.
So do the public really care about local democracy and, more importantly, should they?
"People are getting fed-up with politicians and they're generally disillusioned," said Chelmsford city councillor Graham Pooley. "There's cynicism and the voters are rather bored with it."
Cllr Pooley, who represents Broomfield and Walthams on the City Council after he won a by-election in February, is also an Essex candidate for Broomfield and Writtle in May.
He added: "People say they owe it to history to vote – that people fought long and hard for male suffrage, and then female suffrage.
"Look at the suffragettes, they sacrificed a lot for democracy, which may not be perfect but it's the best we've got.
"It's important to vote because it's people's money. People underestimate the power that the county council still has – it's a big budget."
While 66 per cent of those surveyed did not know about the election, a larger 69 per cent said they did not even know who their county councillor was.
Yet when asked if they will vote in May, 58 per cent said yes – a far greater figure than the 44 per cent who turned-out for district and city council elections across Braintree, Chelmsford and Maldon in 2011, which critics say was boosted by the national AV referendum.
There are 75 seats up for grabs across the entire county.
"I suspect turnout will be 30 per cent," said current Broomfield and Writtle county councillor John Aldridge.
"I would like to think it would be higher – but it's very dependent on weather."
Indeed, only 13 per cent materialised in last November's Police and Crime Commissioner elections during cold weather.
Cllr Aldridge said he was not surprised by the Chronicle's poll and added: "There has been no official profile-raising of the election so it's left to us to try and inform people by getting out and about."
"It's early days yet and it is vital people vote in the upcoming election.
"Per annum the county council's spend is above £2 billion. It's an awful lot of money and people will obviously have a view about how it should be spent.
"If you don't vote then, more than likely, you will be represented by people who don't represent your views.
"You might think roads or education or social care is key – but if you don't vote, you don't have any influence."
Most of the individuals polled by the Chronicle were busy shoppers stopped at random last week.
While most of the unsuspecting residents were unsure on our questions – all were quite hopeful that they might make it to their local polling station in May.
County councillor for Chelmsford Central, Dick Madden said: "I would love to see the public come out at 40 per cent, but that is being optimistic.
"I would be surprised if we get a 35 per cent turnout. But it is vital that people vote – these elections will impact on everyone's lives."
Additional reporting by Lauren Nash, Tom Barnes and Jordan Milne
