The job of mayor, councillor or community board member is not for the faint-hearted.
It's a serious commitment serving the local community, or in the case of Auckland councillors a population of 1.7 million people, and begins with induction, training, and sorting technology and pay straight after the elections.
The Mayor of Auckland is paid $296,000 and most mayors earn a six-figure salary. At the other end of the scale, Tekapo, Fairlie and Stewart Island community board members are paid $2058 a year.
![The pay for a Stewart Island community board member is $2058 a year, compared to $296,000 for the Mayor of Auckland. Photo / Matt Crawford](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/57S52NUTINXDMQX3MQSLROG3TM.jpg?auth=e112561bfbd394f2dc44b3cf57f4bb8003828a70eda7f03f3649a3ea8788dd49&width=16&height=11&quality=70&smart=true)
The Mayor of Auckland has some executive powers that other mayors don't, such as setting up and appointing the chairs of council committees, putting up a budget and receiving $5.3 million a year to run the mayoral office.