Tauranga city will be governed by fewer elected members in the future, commissioners have decided. Photo / NZME
Tauranga city will be governed by fewer elected members in the future, commissioners have decided. Photo / NZME
There will be one fewer councillor representing Tauranga residents if a new council representation model is confirmed.
Tauranga City Council commissioners voted in a meeting today to seek public submissions on a model that would have nine councillors instead of the previous 10.
Eight would be elected from suburb-based general wards and one by voters on the Māori roll.
A mayor would be elected at large for a total of 10 elected members.
Unlike the 11-member model it would replace, there would be no councillors elected at large by the whole city.
The elected council, minus three members who resigned last year, were discharged from their duties in February and replaced by four Government-appointed commissioners.
In the live-streamed meeting council democracy services manager Coral Hair told commissioners that feedback on the representation review revealed a strong aversion to any increase in councillor numbers. Some preferred the commissioner model.
"We had a number of comments requesting the commissioners remain or there be a hybrid model but, as you know, this arrangement is not available to us today. That is a matter for the Minister of Local Government," Hair said.
Tauranga City Council commission chairwoman Anne Tolley, pictured in a meeting pre-lockdown. Photo / NZME
Commissioners were presented with representation models including one with 12 councillors and another with 10. The nine-councillor option was created in response to feedback for reduced numbers.
Commission chairwoman Anne Tolley said at-large seats - where candidates were elected by the entire city rather than from a ward - made it hard for some would-be candidates to stand.
"All of the expenses are borne by the candidate themself and the very nature of campaigning right across the city, the costs are high and some people can't afford to do that. That's one of the negative disadvantages of elections at large."
However, ward-based seats could result in councillors misunderstanding their role to act "on behalf of the whole city".
Commissioner Stephen Selwood said the words of the Review and Observer Team, which monitored last year's elected members before the commissioners were appointed, were "ringing in my ears".
Observer team chairman Peter Winder said at the time that the race for the mayoralty never really ended, contributing to division and tension among elected members that hindered the council's ability to perform.
Selwood said his favoured option for nine ward councillors placed the mayor into a greater role of leadership, having been elected by the city compared to ward-elected councillors.
"I think it will be healthy for the city," Selwood said.
The call for a smaller council was "a very clear message" the commissioners were given through their community interactions so far, he said.
Commissioner Shadrach Rolleston said this model provided more equity for everyone, particularly potential candidates who may not have been able to afford an at-large campaign.
Commissioner Bill Wasley said the model also reduced the need for community boards "because we have these distinct communities and there's potential for relationships to develop between elected members and ... ratepayer groups and other groups that tend to be based around these communities of interest".
The decision was carried unanimously.
People will have a month to make submissions on the model before a final decision will be made.
After the meeting, Victoria University public law expert Dr Dean Knight told the Bay of Plenty Times there was a "sweet spot" when it came to the number of councillors.
"In a broad sense… too few and you don't capture that sort of essence of representation. Too many and you're getting into problems of governance and making it trickier to deliberate efficiently.
"That's the big question for the local community – does it fit their circumstances particularly as a district council which is increasingly growing?"
Local Government New Zealand president Stuart Crosby said the model had been used before.
"We originally had wards in 1989 - there were no at-large [elected councillors], so in a way it's back to the past."
Crosby, a former mayor of Tauranga, said the key issue was "not necessarily the model, it's the quality of the representatives".
The proposed model would have one councillor each representing Mauao/Mount Maunganui, Arataki, Pāpāmoa, Welcome Bay, Matua, Bethlehem, Te Papa, Tauriko, and a Māori ward.
The commissioners are expected to remain until the next local body elections in 2022. Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta, who appointed them, could extend their term or put a transition model in place.
According to the terms of reference for the commissioners, one of their duties is to make an "exit plan" to "facilitate a smooth transition back to an elected council".
