Shattering start for new mayor Tracey Collis

Tracey Collis.

Tracey Collis' first day in office as Tararua District mayor was a shattering experience, but not in the way she'd expected.

Mrs Collis, from Eketahuna, won the district mayoralty race from four other candidates, but didn't begin work in her Dannevirke office until last Thursday.

"It had been a very busy three and a half days for me in Auckland, finishing my Fonterra Elite Management programme, before I drove to Dannevirke on the Thursday to play catch-up," she told the Dannevirke News.

"Everything was new, including how to work the petrol cap on my council car."

But it wasn't the petrol cap which caused her grief, rather a stone which flicked up on the outskirts of Dannevirke, smashing the window in her passenger door.

"So here I was on my first day on the job having to ring the Tararua District Council office to ask for help," she said.

"Fortunately we live in a fabulous community and a farmer pulled over to help and another chap walked out of his drive to make sure I was okay."

Mrs Collis' mayoral win has left a council vacancy for a district councillor for the south ward and nominations will open on Thursday, November 24 and close on Thursday, December 22.

If more than one nomination is received voting papers will be posted on Thursday, January 26. Polling closes on Friday, February 17, with a preliminary result declared on February 22.