KEY POINTS:
Straight-talking Auckland health boss Wayne Brown has deposed incumbent Yvonne Sharp as Far North mayor.
Brown's been tagged the "Mr Fix-it" of health, after taking a scalpel to debt held by three health bodies, and now he's promising to "fix" the Far North council.
Brown was at his Mangonui home last night celebrating with wife Toni and friends. "I live in a tiny town, and 20 per cent of the town's here already," he said.
First on his to-do list: "Fix the phones and tell the [council] staff they've got to bloody appreciate the ratepayer.
"At the hospital, I focused on the patients, not the staff. And in the council I'm going to focus on the ratepayers, not the staff."
Asked what views he shared with close friend, Labour list MP and Far North local Shane Jones, Brown said: "Both of us want to see the Far North wealthier. You're going to see the Far North becoming the desirable place to invest in New Zealand."
In Whangarei, former mayor Stan Semenoff has returned to power, easily defeating incumbent Pamela Peters in a campaign dominated by rates issues.
Semenoff, a veteran of Northland local body politics, said he had campaigned on a platform of affordability for people on fixed incomes.
In Hamilton, after five months in the hot seat, mayor Bob Simcock has strengthened his mandate with a resounding victory, polling more than 16,000 votes, well ahead of the 4500 for his nearest challenger.
Simcock took over the mayoralty when Michael Redman stepped down this year. He said his main task was to get infrastructure in place for the city's expected rapid growth.
In Tauranga, mayor Stuart Crosby held his seat, polling 14,000 votes, almost twice as many as his nearest rival.
The veteran politician has served 21 years on the council, the past three as mayor.
But Crosby faces challenges this term with half of his council being replaced by new blood.
In Rotorua, mayor Kevin Taylor was "chuffed" to retain his seat, winning 6300 votes, 1300 more than the runner-up, health campaigner Lyall Thurston.
Taylor said lake water quality would be the council's top priority.
