"Three Waters is an embarrassment and if you saw the structure put up on a board, there is nobody in this country who has been a chief executive or run a business that would create that multi-level, bureaucracy beyond belief. It's going to have 9000 staff and cost a fortune.
"So, we have to fight and we have to have the ability to fight to the end. I'm smart, I'm articulate, I absorb information and I'm courageous. I'm not scared of a fight and I think I have proven that over and over and over again."
Another potential challenge facing the Taupō District Council in the next three years is local government reform.
"The Government is hell-bent on centralising everything, they want control. They talk about how they are going to involve communities, well, we are going to end up a small tail on a big dog and once again, our leader has to be switched on to those issues and be willing to fight really hard.
"You have to negotiate, you have to not give in because it could destroy us. My slogan is 'your vote has never mattered more' and I definitely feel and believe that."
If successful in becoming mayor, Rankin says, she plans to communicate "a little differently".
"We've been talking about it a lot in the last at least three years because there is something missing in our communication. With the best will, there is a gap, people don't know what they should know.
"You need your community to understand everything and there should be loads of opportunity to have an input. The thing we're missing is those town hall meetings. We set dates for them last time, I was going out to do them, but along came Covid.
"No matter what this time, if I'm the mayor I'm going to have those meetings on a very, very regular basis. You have to front people.
"Leadership is my obsession, it's my passion and it's my skill. I want to be able to give that, I love the Taupō District and I want to be able to do that."
The growth of the Taupō District is another potential challenge its next mayor will have to tackle.
"We're growing at a rapid rate and economic development is really, really important but because of affordability, we have to pause and ask ourselves and the community on a regular basis; 'this is where we're headed, are we going too fast?'.
"We've had a hell of a lot of development in the last three years. A lot of people love that, they want to make the most of this district and I utterly support that but any sensible business will stop, take a look at what they're doing, and carefully choose what they do next."
In the 2019 election, David Trewavas won the mayoralty by a majority of 3164 votes over his closest rival Zane Cozens who picked up 3864 votes. Rankin polled third with 1989 votes and Kim Eyles was fourth with 235 votes.
Candidate nominations for the Taupō District Council elections are now open and close on Friday, August 12 with the election results announced on Saturday, October 8.
Information about the elections can be found at taupo.govt.nz/vote22, or lgnz.co.nz .
