KEY POINTS:
A lawyer, an ex-Olympian and a former National Party list MP have emerged as the likely main contenders for this year's Manukau mayoralty.
Len Brown, Dick Quax and Arthur Anae have all confirmed themselves as candidates for this year's local body elections.
The city's incumbent, Sir Barry Curtis, and Auckland regional councillor Craig Little are staying tight-lipped over whether they will contest.
Mr Brown, who lost narrowly to Sir Barry in 2003 by 566 votes (20,538 votes) in his first bid for office, said most people he had talked to were concerned mainly with increases to rates and water rates.
Manukau City has this year raised rates 5.9 per cent and councillors last month voted to push water rates up by 4.9 per cent and waste water charges by 9.4 per cent.
"It is a big [rise] and I'm standing on a platform that we don't have any increases above the rate of inflation," said Mr Brown.
The 50-year-old, who recently retired as a partner of legal firm Wynyard Wood and chairs the Otara Youth Action group, said many others were worried about safety in their communities.
"The gangs and the youth gangs is another big thing I'm leaning on and what I'm saying is there has to be some dialogue between us and the media ... all the media are doing are glorifying these kids."
Former Olympian and People's Choice candidate Dick Quax, who polled 18,380 votes in the 2003 election, appears to agree with Mr Brown on rates issues.
He said more than 50 per cent of Manukau's 335,000 population earned less than $28,000 and were unable to cope with the increases.
"Our council have been bragging our rates are low but they're still at least twice the rate of inflation."
Mr Quax, 59, who chairs Manukau community safety and is the deputy chair of corporate governance, said council spending on staff and consultants had increased above the rate of inflation and that of the private sector.
"These costs are being borne by people who aren't in a position to be able to cope with them," he said.
Former National list MP Arthur Anae, said his three years as Otara councillor had been "an apprenticeship".
The 61-year-old wants Manukau to be "the most user-friendly city in New Zealand" and advocated less red-tape and bureaucracy.
"When I look at China and Asia 50 years ago we looked down and said these were third world states but they are now far superior to us.
"That's because they haven't been driven by this squeaky wheel in Government and local government.
"Manukau has all the potential and of course we have a young population but we need to make sure their qualifications are geared up to take on the job opportunities that are coming out of the area."
A spokesman for Sir Barry said the eight-term mayor had reserved his decision in the lead-up to previous elections and has until August 24 to make up his mind.
Sir Barry is in Australia on holiday and could not be contacted for comment.
Auckland regional councillor Craig Little, although he said he was still undecided, told the Herald he'd had a "large number of approaches" to stand for the mayoralty.
Mr Little, who polled highest with 19,149 votes in the 2004 ARC election, said he was still considering his options. "I'm not putting a deadline on it but I think within a week I will have to work out a commitment one way or the other."
