Caffell in new bid for mayoralty

The race for the Masterton mayoralty has started in earnest with incumbent Garry Daniell confirming he is seeking another term and a challenger already putting his name forward.

Wairarapa Times-Age sports editor Gary Caffell, who sought the mayoralty in 2010 and is a first-term councillor, said yesterday he was " 99.5 per cent certain" he would again contest the mayoralty.

" It all depends on getting the tick from my wife," he said.

Mr Caffell said he had the backing of David Holmes, who went within a few hundred votes of defeating Mr Daniell in 2010, and, that should he become mayor, Mr Holmes would be his deputy - if Mr Holmes succeeds in holding his own place on the council.

Mr Caffell said he and Mr Holmes "certainly don't agree on everything" but both believed council needed to work harder on involving all sectors of the community in the decision-making process.

Mr Caffell said he would also be putting his name forward for the urban ward, and Mr Holmes would be seeking a return to the council, contesting the "at large" poll.

In 2010, Mr Caffell and Mr Holmes, along with Chris Peterson and Toi Walker, challenged Mr Daniell for the mayoralty. Mr Daniell won, having secured 3066 votes to be 382 ahead of Mr Holmes, who had largely campaigned on the new sewage ponds issue.

Mr Caffell wound up in third place, securing 1223 votes, with Mr Peterson and Mr Walker failing to reach 1000 votes each.

Confirming he is seeking another term, Mr Daniell said he was determined to follow through on the governance issue and was mindful the new term could be limited to two years.

Mr Daniell said he was putting his full weight behind a standalone Wairarapa Unitary Authority as he did not want Wairarapa to become " subservient to Wellington".

As mayor for the past six years, Mr Daniell said he was delighted with what had been achieved while his hand had been "on the tiller", and with the co-operation he had received from his council to ensure progress on needed infrastructural work had stayed on course.