Hasting District councillor Marcus Buddo at his mayoral campaign launch in Havelock North on Saturday.
Hastings District councillor Marcus Buddo launched his mayoral campaign on Saturday.
If elected, he says, his focus will be financial responsibility.
When asked by Local Democracy Reporting what he considered to be a reasonable rates rise, Buddo said he couldn’t change the average rates increase of 15% for this year “but as mayor would be focused on getting rates under control”.
He said he looked forward to sharing the plan with ratepayers in due course.
“I have been very impressed with the ability of staff to find savings and cut costs. It has been councillors who have voted to spend. For example to subsidise Hawke’s Bay Tourism.
“I have the record to prove I put ratepayers first. I will be financially responsible and ensure Hawke’s Bay affordably recovers from the cyclone.”
The one-term councillor, who has degrees in public health and politics and economics, says he is confident he has what it takes to be Hastings mayor.
A fourth-generation Hawke’s Bay local, Buddo was raised on a farm south of Hastings and now manages it.
He is the chair of the HB Rural Advisory Group and helped the rural sector recover from the cyclone and prepare for a drought after a dry spring.
“I have a lot of experience across the district. However, I know if I’m elected I face a tough job.”
Buddo said the campaign launch went well.
“I was thrilled with the turnout and heartened by the response I have had since,” he said.
“Most people said that their biggest issue is rate rises, and they want the council to focus on core business to get spending under control.”
He said he was running for mayor for the people who want to call Hawke’s Bay home but can’t afford to.
“Hawke’s Bay should be a place where families gather at the same table, not connect through screens. It should be a place where people on fixed incomes can afford to stay in their own homes, not be forced out by unaffordable cost increases.”
He said Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, who is still undecided about running for mayor at this year’s local body elections, had done a wonderful job.
“It has been a pleasure being one of her councillors. She is always generous with her advice and mentoring.”
Councillor Damon Harvey has signalled he is standing again as a councillor, “while also strongly considering the mayoralty”, but so far Buddo is the first to formally declare his intentions.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
'We initially had a target of about 8000, and we well and truly went past that.'