Bill Dalton: People can believe I'm running for mayor if they want

Bill Dalton, mayor, listening to Cr Kirsten Wise - discussing the Napier War Memorial Centre, at an extraordinary meeting of the Napier City Council, held in the chamber at Hawke's Bay Regional Counci

A year out from local body elections Napier Mayor Bill Dalton is refusing to reveal whether he'll push for another term.

"I'm certainly not commenting or making any public statement on whether I'm running or not," Dalton told Hawke's Bay Today.

"People can believe that or not, it's entirely up to them."

Dalton has been mayor of Napier for two consecutive terms, and at the last local body election, in 2016, was the only New Zealand mayoral candidate to run unopposed.

At the time he told Hawke's Bay Today the reason he thought no one was running against him was the promise he was only going to do two terms.

"I think people thought 'we'll give him another three years to finish the job, then watch him ride off into the sunset'," he said at the time.

However, he said there were major projects council was working on which would probably not get off the ground before the election, and he would not be making his decision based on unfinished projects.

"The big projects we've got on, we're talking about our new aquatic centre, we're talking also about the Aquarium of New Zealand, they'll be lucky to be started by the time the election comes around.

"I certainly will not be saying I'm staying on to finish projects."

Another councillor tipped to be running is Kirsten Wise, who Dalton recently accused of launching a political campaign during a recent council meeting on Napier's War Memorial.

"It's something I've wanted to do for a very long time," Wise said.

"I love serving the community and giving back. I was born and raised in Napier and feel that I could take on that governance role and be that voice to our community."

Wise said she would focus on the city's core infrastructure.

"I would make sure we have the right and robust infrastructure to ensure our community is getting good clean drinking water and we're not polluting our environment. I would focus on the community as well.

"It's important that we have the right parks and the right places where our residents can take their families and access the things they need. I feel our community is crying out a bit and isn't getting as much attention as they should be. It's about getting the balance right."

New Zealand's local body elections are scheduled for October 12 next year.

Nominations for candidates open on July 19, 2019.