There was one county alderman for every three councillors (one for every six in the London County Council).[8] The first elections to the councils were held at various dates in January 1889, and they served as "provisional" or shadow councils until 1 April, when they came into their powers.[9][10] Elections of all councillors and half of the aldermen took place every three years thereafter.[8] The areas over which the councils had authority were designated as administrative counties. The writ of the county councils did not extend everywhere: large towns and some historic counties corporate were constituted county boroughs by the same act. County borough councils were independent of the council for the county in which they were geographically situated, and exercised the functions of both county and district councils.[7] The new system was a major modernisation, which reflected the increasing range of functions carried out by local government in late Victorian Britain.