Leanne Brown, with 3250 votes, is the new Mount Maunganui Papamoa representative on Tauranga City Council. Photo/John Borren
Leanne Brown, with 3250 votes, is the new Mount Maunganui Papamoa representative on Tauranga City Council. Photo/John Borren
Leanne Brown was yesterday celebrating with a glass of bubbly after winning Tauranga City Council's Mount Maunganui/Papamoa byelection by 42 votes.
Clare Wilson - 3208 votes
The results were released yesterday afternoon and showed Ms Brown in first place with 3250 votes and former Labour Party candidate Clare Wilson in second.
Ms Brown said it was "awesome news".
"I'm very thrilled with the end result," she said. "It's been a very anxious 24 hours, equally as much for Clare as it was for me because it could have gone either way."
She planned to make sure decisions were substantiated with facts when they were made public so residents understood the reason behind the decision.
Ms Brown said work getting up to speed on the issues facing the ward and the city would start immediately although she was already learning about a number of the area's key issues.
Improving the safety of Papamoa Beach Rd and getting Te Okura Drive underway, as well as looking into emergency evacuations routes for Papamoa, were among the key issues residents had spoken to her about.
Despite being one of 11 councillors, Ms Brown said she believed her voice would be heard.
"Your ability to communicate and relate to your fellow councillors is incredibly important as is your ability to get your opinion across," she said.
Ms Brown said she would be handing in her official resignation as Bethlehem Town Centre manager today, although she had warned her employer of her political ambitions in October.
About 9200 voting papers were counted contributing to a 29.35 per cent voter return.
There were six informal and nine blank voting papers.
