Sheryl Mai: Do your research, but make sure you vote in local body elections

Outgoing three-term Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai, here when she was first sworn in in 2013, is urging people to get out and vote in October's local body elections.

From the Mayor's Desk:

Now nominations for our 2022 local elections have closed, and billboards are popping up all over the district, people will begin assessing those who have bravely chosen to stand for the council and the mayoralty.

I am often asked who people should vote for.

My response is that it's up to everyone to select their preferred candidate using their own criteria. There are qualities I'll be looking for in our new mayor, and many of those qualities will apply to ward candidates.

Having governance experience is, I believe, a key skill for mayoral candidates. Someone who has chaired a group of people with radically different outlooks and objectives would give our new mayor a strong foundation for success.

My second desired quality is a wholehearted commitment to our community. The role demands long hours of community engagement and involvement, often on weekends and evenings, and the mayor will need to have a genuine commitment to the diverse communities of our district.

I believe a working knowledge of te reo Māori is essential. I'll be looking to see if the candidate has knowledge and fluency in this area, and if not, if they have ever shown a desire and commitment to learn.

Financial competence is vital to the role, so I will be looking for evidence of candidates' ability to manage large and complex budgets.

Being trustworthy with confidential information is a value that I hold and respect. I will be looking for evidence of trustworthiness.

The new mayor should have a broad interest in the diverse issues within our district and our region. I will be looking for those demonstrating a wide interest, not a single-issue focus.

Finally, and most importantly, is integrity. Unfortunately, it is also one of the hardest qualities to measure – you will be the judge.

I have no doubt that many will have other considerations – support for a particular project, or a change in direction; a specific leadership style. I will put my own weightings on the significance of my criteria, to make the selection I feel will work best for our district.

The best advice I can give you is to make your own list of criteria which you are looking for and to objectively evaluate each candidate against that list.

I urge you to ask questions of all candidates. Will they be able to lead without fear or favour? Have they read the latest Long Term Plan? Do they have knowledge of Council's processes, and can they separate governance from management? Do they have knowledge of and comfort with tikanga marae? Can they read and process huge volumes of information? Don't be afraid to ask candidates the tough questions.

Lastly, discuss preferences and issues with friends, family, neighbours – they may have a fresh perspective for you to consider. I also recommend going to community-led 'meet the candidate' evenings - check the local papers for where and when these are happening.

It's your best opportunity to meet the candidates, ask your questions and get a feel for the qualities of those running for councillor and the mayoralty – get involved. It's your district.