Waipā District has spoken and elected Susan O'Regan as the new mayor, meaning veteran local politician Jim Mylchreest is out.
According to preliminary results, O'Regan received 6793 votes while Mylchreest received 4840 votes so far.
Meanwhile, the majority of the council stays the same as the previous one with the Cambridge Ward, Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Ward and Pirongia-Kakepuku Ward councillors being re-elected.
The new faces on the council are Maungatautari Ward councillor Mike Montgomerie (852 votes) and Waipā Māori Ward councillor Takena Stirling (300 votes).
The unsuccessful Maungatautari Ward candidate Les Bennett received 508 votes. The unsuccessful Māori Ward candidates are Gaylene Roberts who received 159 votes and Bill Harris who received 75 votes.
O'Regan had just completed her second term on the council and originally announced she was stepping down from the council this year.
"[But] It is time for a change in council leadership. We need renewed enthusiasm and focus. I am ready."
Susan O'Regan is the daughter of former National MP Katherine O'Regan and had established her own barrister's chambers in Te Awamutu before focusing on parenting and farming in 2010. Together with her husband John Hayward, she is operating a dairy farm at Puahue.
Waipā District has voted former mayor Jim Mylchreest out. Photo / Stephen Barker, Barker Photography
Apart from Mylchreest, the other unsuccessful mayoral candidates are Chris Woodhams who received 3128 votes and Bernard Westerbaan who received 673 votes.
The four re-elected Cambridge Ward councillors are Liz Stolwyk (4148 votes), Roger Gordon (3848 votes), Mike Pettit (4167 votes) and Philip Coles (3307 votes).
The unsuccessful candidates for the Cambridge Ward are Don Sanders who received 2515 votes and Delwyn Smith who received 1758 votes.
The three councillors re-elected for the Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Ward are Andrew Brown (2639 votes), Lou Brown (2572 votes) and Marcus Gower (2587 votes).
The unsuccessful Te Awamutu-Kihikihi Ward candidates are Bernard Westerbaan (1469 votes), Bernie Fynn (772 votes) and James Parlane (563 votes).
The two councillors re-elected for the Pirongia-Kakepuku Ward are Clare St Pierre (2007 votes) and Bruce Thomas (1692 votes). The unsuccessful candidate Corilin Steel received 1077 votes.
The voter return was 39.63 per cent, meaning 15,695 people voted, excluding special votes.
Official final results are expected to be announced on Thursday, October 13 after special votes are counted.
Below is the full list of the preliminarily elected Waipā District Council:
