Outsider John Lehmann has announced he will add his hat into the ring for the Auckland mayoralty and has come out swinging at Council. Photo / Facebook
Outsider John Lehmann has announced he will add his hat into the ring for the Auckland mayoralty and has come out swinging at Council. Photo / Facebook
Outsider John Lehmann has announced he will add his hat into the ring for the Auckland mayoralty and has come out swinging at the council.
The born and raised Aucklander and solo father to five boys and one girl announced his bid for the top position this morning via email.
"I'm happy to announce I have been voted to put my name forward as a candidate for the mayoralty.
"In short, I have the support of many ratepayers and citizens of Auckland who are fed up with the ongoing rate hikes, lies, compliance, delays, over-regulation, and wastage by the council."
Council management, on the whole, was "totally incompetent", unsupervised, and out of control, he said.
He has a history with Australian Pauline Hanson, who heads One Nation Leader.
Phill Goff seeks second term
Incumbent mayor Phil Goff has confirmed he will make another bid at the mayoralty, seeking a second term.
Photo / Michael Craig
Incumbent mayor Phill Goff has confirmed he will make another bid at the mayoralty, seeking a second term.
In an exclusive interview with the Herald on Sunday, Goff said general rates would increase by 3.5 per cent a year in his second term — an increase on the 2.5 per cent annual rates rises in his first term.
Goff said he aimed to keep rates low in his first term against all the challenges and pressures on the cash-strapped council, but his long-term budget set rates increases of 3.5 per cent in his second term, which he would stick to.
Goff said he had a clean bill of health from a heart attack in April last year and was up to the long hours and challenges as mayor of the Super City.
John Palino says 2019 his year
Restaurateur John Palino is standing for the Auckland mayoralty for a third time after finishing fourth in 2016. Photo / Hagen Hopkins
John Palino confirmed his intent to run in November of last year.
Palino is standing for a third time after finishing fourth in 2016.
Palino came second to Len Brown in 2013, but his second tilt in 2016 saw him come fourth behind Victoria Crone and Chloe Swarbrick.
Palino's 2013 bid for the mayoralty became embroiled in a love triangle between then-incumbent mayor Len Brown, Bevan Chuang and Luigi Wewege.
He said his chances were best this year as he planned to get the support of National and start his campaign early.
"I think it is a good time and I also kept having people tell me to start early. I have to get my voice out there and get the information out earlier.
"Intensification has destroyed the suburbs, causing congestion and sewage issues, they [the council] are convinced we need to go up not out."
People liked his policies and his intention of building a satellite city.
John Tamihere pledges to shake up council
Waipareira Trust chief executive and former Labour MP John Tamihere is also in the race and intends to shake things up at Council. Photo / Dean Purcell.
The Waipareira Trust chief executive and former Labour MP announced five campaign pledges in January that would shake up the council but he was holding back his big plans for the city.
Tamihere, a high-profile - and often controversial - figure set himself up to challenge Goff out of a relationship meltdown with the council's development agency, Panuku, over the level of social housing in developments planned by Waipareira Trust.
It was the battle with Panuku, Tamihere said, that led to a large number of people contacting him with stories that made it clear the council has lost control over unelected and unaccountable bodies.
"It's time to shake it up," said Tamihere, who has come up with five pledges focused on changing the culture and values of council that form the foundation of his campaign.
The local body elections will be held on October 12 next year.
