KEY POINTS:
The founder of a failed finance company, a rugby team mascot, and a businesswoman who describes herself as "non-PC" are among the candidates vying to be mayors in the Bay of Plenty this year.
Local councils yesterday released final lists of candidates for the October elections after nominations closed on Friday.
Among those joining the Tauranga race are Jim Smylie, founder of Western Bay Finance, which collapsed in August last year owing investors $48 million.
Hori Tunnels, aka Terry Leaming, aka Hori BOP - the Bay of Plenty Steamers' raucous, shaggy-haired mascot - is another of the six contenders aiming to topple incumbent Stuart Crosby.
Mr Smylie, who was once a Steamers sponsor and owner of two yachts and a plane, is hopeful his company's failure will not ruin his chances.
Now working as a defence lawyer, he told the Bay of Plenty Times that in his experience New Zealanders did not knock people back, and said he was happy to answer any questions from voters about Western Bay Finance, which has so far returned 77c in the dollar to investors.
Mr Leaming, who is standing for mayor for the second time, has adopted the name Hori Tunnels and the slogan "tunnel vision" to promote a roading project that is the platform of his campaign this year.
He wants an underpass built at a major intersection in Tauranga to ease traffic woes in the fast-growing city.
Both men face an uphill battle against Mr Crosby, who is a veteran in the local political scene, having served on the Tauranga City Council since 1989.
In Rotorua, the race has hotted up with a last-minute entry from Merepeka Raukawa-Tait, former chief executive of Women's Refuge and deputy leader of the Christian Heritage Party for a brief period in 2002.
The only female in the five-person race, Ms Raukawa-Tait told the Herald she could mingle as comfortably with gang members as she could with businesspeople.
"I bring a very down-to-earth, non-PC approach," she said. Of Te Arawa descent, she said Rotorua had "heavy issues" to deal with, particularly violence in the home.
She took a zero-tolerance approach to the problem.
Promoting start-up businesses and rigorously managing Rotorua's natural resources, such as the lakes and geothermal areas, were also priorities.
Ms Raukawa-Tait stands against current mayor Kevin Winters, deputy mayor Trevor Maxwell, and long-time councillor Cliff Lee.
The other candidate is Lyall Thurston, a health and disability advocate who campaigned for fortification of flour with folic acid to prevent birth defects.
Maggie Bentley, whose husband Peter was badly beaten in a home invasion of their rural property, is standing for Rotorua's east ward.
She has listed health and security as her main concerns.
In Whakatane, Colin Holmes is trying for a second term as mayor, against the only other candidate, former Cabinet minister Ian Shearer.
Dr Shearer served in National's Muldoon Government and is also former manager of the Waitangi Tribunal.
Western Bay of Plenty District Council has only one candidate, incumbent Graeme Weld, now facing a third term as mayor.
Mr Weld viewed the lack of other nominations as a vote of confidence from the community for the work he had already done.
He said he planned to continue focussing on the region's "massive roading problems".
