Sheryl Mai celebrates at home with husband Mike Regan after being re-elected as Whangārei mayor Photo / Tania Whyte
Sheryl Mai celebrates at home with husband Mike Regan after being re-elected as Whangārei mayor Photo / Tania Whyte
Sheryl Mai has three priorities for her third term as mayor of Whangārei, and hopes she can get the support of her council to implement them.
Mai swept back into office with 12,612 votes on Saturday, well ahead of Tony Savage, with 8997 votes and Alex Wright who was thirdin the race with 2626 votes. The final results are expected on Wednesday.
Mai's 3615 majority was well down on last election when she romped in with 14,355 votes to then Go-Whangārei leader David Blackley's 5095.
Mai is now the first three-term female mayor of the Whangārei District Council and said she was grateful to the people of Whangārei for putting their faith in her again.
She said it was clear, with all three Northland mayors being re-elected, that the public was generally happy with the direction Northland was heading.
''But something that also came through this campaign period was that there are pockets of dissatisfaction with aspects of the council. But I don't think we are the only council that has dissatisfied residents and ratepayers.
Sheryl Mai with husband Mike Regan after being re-elected as Whangārei Mayor for a third time. They are pictured with photos from Mai's previous campaign wins. Photo / Tania Whyte
''My challenge now is to meet the needs of those people more than we have been. But this is a big vote of confidence and support for the direction we are heading in. We are definitely on a roll in the district and we have some exciting things ahead of us. Now I've got to bring together the team to make it all happen.''
Mai's top three priorities for the next three years were:
"Climate change is the number one issue; number two, we've got to build the new civic centre and three, we've got to improve our communication with the community.''
But, she said, she would need the support of the majority of councillors to pursue those and she hoped she could get that.
''There will be other things that come through that may get greater emphasis after we work through things.''
The remains of the Whangārei clock tower were craned off the fire-damaged building on Friday. Whangārei Mayor Sheryl Mai said restoring the Old Town Hall will definitely happen. Photo / John Stone
Mai said the Old Town Hall, which was badly damaged in a fire on Thursday would be restored, though its clock tower, may have to be rebuilt from new as it was virtually destroyed in the blaze.
She said the Hundertwasser Arts Centre and new wastewater treatment plant would both be competed this coming term and she was hopeful that Auckland's port work would be transferred to Northport as well.
The council has five new councillors, although there was a guarantee of at least three anyway, with Okara Ward councillor Stuart Bell, stepping down earlier this year, while fellow Okara Ward representative Cherry Hermon and Mangakahia-Maungatapere Ward councillor Sharon Morgan did not seek re-election.
In the Denby ward long time councillor Crichton Christie missed out. Incumbent Gavin Benney won the seat with 3149 votes, with fellow incumbent Tricia Cutforth second with 2977 votes and Jayne Golightly taking the third seat with 2636 votes. Golightly was elected to the ward in the 2016 election, but had to resign as a councillor after it was discovered she was not a NZ citizen. The resignation led to a byelection that saw Benney elected.
Christie came fourth with 2202 votes, while first time candidate Shaquille Shortland was fourth with 1391 votes.
In the Bream Bay ward incumbent Shelley Deeming was returned with 2351 votes, while newcomer Ken Couper took the second seat in the ward with 1950 votes. Third was Iain Robertson with 1272 votes, followed by Peter Grant with 887; Tom Paki with 823 and Olli Krollman with 350.
Long-serving councillor Sue Glen was ousted from the Okara Ward after first time candidate Nicholas Connop came first with 2994 votes. The second of the four seats in the ward went to incumbent Vince Cocurullo with 2823 votes, with another newcomer Carol Peters third with 2375 votes and Phil Halse - standing in Okara after five terms as Bream Bay ward councillor - fourth with 2326 votes. Tim Robinson was fifth with 2226 votes, Glen was sixth with 2020 votes, followed by Steve Capper with 2492; Albie Barr with 1241; Tony Gill with 1207; Hayley Reid with 1091; Fiona Green with 1002; Glen McMillan with 948 and Melanie Payne with 832.
In Hikurangi-Coastal ward incumbents Greg Martin, with 1711 votes, and Anna Murphy, with 1608 votes, were returned. Missing out were Alex Wright, with 1284 votes; Shelley Anderson with 782; Daron Turner with 614 and Marie Minhinnick with 310.
Simon Reid was elected in the Mangakahia-Maungatapere Ward with 1138 votes. Second was Sid Diamond with 808 votes. In the Whangārei Heads ward incumbent Greg Innes was returned with 1121 votes, ahead of Dave Blackley with 727 votes and Don Lake with 682.
