Mayor Paula Southgate says the council is working hard to increase interest and engagement in council business. Photo / Supplied
Mayor Paula Southgate says the council is working hard to increase interest and engagement in council business. Photo / Supplied
Does Hamilton still need 12 general councillors now that the city is adding two Māori seats; and should we have community boards as well?
These and other council representation issues are on the table as Hamilton City Council reviews its representation structure before the next local body elections in 2022.
The present council has come up with a suggested overall representation plan after agreeing in May to add two Māori seats to the council table and from August 25 wants to hear what the public thinks of the details of its plan.
Elected members propose keeping the two general wards – East and West – with six councillors elected from each ward, the mayor elected citywide, and two new Māori ward councillors to be elected citywide.
The 2022 elections will be the first time the council will have dedicated elected representation for Māori among the city councillors.
The decision to introduce Māori wards triggered the need for the council to review its representation structure – including the overall number of councillors, the ward system and whether there is a need for community boards.
Hamilton proposes keeping two general wards - East and West - with six councillors elected from each, the mayor elected "at large", and two new Māori councillors elected citywide. Photo / Supplied
Mayor Paula Southgate acknowledged there was already a lot of change ahead for voters, noting more than half didn't vote in the last election.
"With the introduction of the STV (single transferable voting) voting system and Māori wards in 2022, we're not looking to make any other changes. That's already quite a bit for people to deal with when we are working hard to increase interest and engagement in council business," she said.
"Iwi and mātā waka have advised their preference is for one citywide Māori ward and we've taken that on board."
Any New Zealand citizen over 18 can stand for the general ward, Māori ward, or for mayor.
Only those on the Māori electoral role can vote for candidates contesting a Māori ward seat. One citywide Māori ward means all voters on the Māori electorate roll can vote for up to two Māori ward candidates.
Only those on the general electoral roll can vote for candidates contesting an East or West Ward seat (depending on where they live). Everyone can vote for the mayor.
The council says significant research completed in 2018 identified Hamilton did not have under-represented communities that would benefit from community boards.
• The mayor elected "at large" across the whole city
• No community boards.
Submissions on the proposal close on October 6. The council will then hear verbal submissions on October 13, with a final decision due on November 11. That decision is then open to an appeal period.
