She was one of four councillors in 2014 — including Chris Joblin, who has since resigned — who voted at an extraordinary meeting to halt more than $1 million of spending on several council projects, initiatives and staff appointments.
The spending cuts, including removing funding for a just-appointed Maori relationship manager, were later partially reversed.
Mr Matley, an 85-year-old former maths teacher at Wairoa College, said the council had good ideas but they were appropriate for a much larger population.
Belt-tightening and accepting reducing services was required, he said.
“We are living beyond our means. That is the crux of it. If elected, my first task would be to go to the chief financial officer and ask, if there were a war, what items would you list, which, in your view, are inessential?’’
Mr Little won the mayoralty from former mayor Derek Fox three years ago by about 750 votes.
Mr Probert, who had served on council either as mayor or as a councillor since 1985, was a further 500 votes back in third. Mr Probert made a late decision to seek re-election. He later told The Herald his defeat was not unexpected.