Deputy mayor and candidate for the top job Kelvin Clout said, if elected, he would increase the number of wards in Tauranga from three to seven or eight.
Each would have one councillor who could "more effectively be a champion for their ward, and address specific community needs".
Tauranga's three wards - Mount Maunganui-Pāpāmoa, Ōtūmoetai-Pyes Pā and Te Papa-Welcome Bay - each have two councillors representing about 45,000 residents each, he said. The other four councillors were 'at-large'.
"I believe this provides very little direct contact with the community, nor does it provide a strong level of councillor accountability," Clout said.
He did not know what it would cost but said it would be "money well spent, for the benefit of better local decision making, democracy, and accountability".
He was not proposing a Māori ward because, in his opinion, "this is tokenistic and patronising".
Mayoral candidate Greg Brownless. Photo / File
Tauranga mayor Greg Brownless said the council needed better engagement and involvement but representation decisions should be driven by people.
"Decisions on council representation, whether it be at large, by community boards, or more wards, should be made by citizens themselves by referendum, not by politicians."
Local Government New Zealand vice president and former Tauranga mayor Stuart Crosby said community boards cost more and "can slow processes down".
"Extra wards and ward members should not result in any great cost."
Former Tauranga mayor Stuart Crosby says transport funding mechanisms need to change. Photo / Andrew Warner
He said adding both wards and community boards options could be considered under the council's representation review.
"In short the council puts out a proposal, the community can submit, the council announces its proposal and notifies it. That proposal can be appealed by any submitter and hearings are held by the Local Government Commission who make the final decision."
He said community boards were often used by councils covering a large area, diverse communities, and/or a rural and urban mix.
"Tauranga City Council has a very small footprint compared to most other councils."
Increasing ward numbers could "create the opportunity for strong pro-localism and issues that had not been considered on a city-wide basis", he said.
Charles Sturt, who is not seeking re-election this term after 30 years on the Rotorua Lakes Council, said he supported the concepts.
Charles Sturt spent three decades on the Rotorua Lakes Council. Photo / File
"If there are specific communities that don't feel they are being heard there, both wards and/or community boards can help."
He said he did not initially support introducing a Lakes Community Board and Rural Community Board in Rotorua, but his opinion flipped once they were established.
"Certainly those boards and Te Tatau o Te Arawa have added specific voices and absolute value to the direction council has taken."
The number of councillors was dropped from 12 to 10 when the boards were established to save money.
"In Rotorua, it costs about $200,000 each year for the community board to operate and carry out proper consultations," Sturt said.
What other councils do:
Western Bay of Plenty District Council: 3 wards, 5 community boards Rotorua Lakes Council: 10 at-large councillors, 2 community boards Wellington City Council: 5 wards, 2 community boards Christchurch City Council: 16 wards, 7 community boards Hamilton City Council: 2 wards Dunedin City Council: 14 at-large councillors, 6 community boards
Mayoral candidates' views: Do you think Tauranga City Council representation needs to change?
Tauranga mayoral candidate Andrew Hollis. Photo / File
My opinion on local community boards and other groups is that without them communities have no single point of advocacy ... When wards match their places and people, better engagement will occur.
Andrew Hollis
Mayoral candidate Murray Guy. Photo / File
My first priority under my leadership will be zero tolerance of community consultation that is manipulated with predetermined outcomes ... My focus will be on the quality and time frames applied to consultation, utilising online options and surveys, reaching more in our community more often.
Murray Guy
Mayoral candidate Les Wallen. Photo / File
No, we do not need changes to our representation. As mayor, I would see that community consultation is genuine consultation and that the elected members listen to the public in their ward and bring those concerns to the council.
