Former chair Rachel Keedwell said she intends to apply for chair again this term. Photo / Supplied
Former chair Rachel Keedwell said she intends to apply for chair again this term. Photo / Supplied
The next Horizons Regional Council chair will be decided at the inaugural meeting on Tuesday.
Unlike a mayor who is voted in by the public, the regional council chair is elected by councillors.
The previous chairwoman Rachel Keedwell has been re-elected as a councillor this term and intends to apply for the chair role.
"We have done a lot of direction setting over the last three years," Keedwell said.
"This included keeping climate change front and centre and building relationships with iwi and hapu, and I would definitely like to carry on building and strengthening those."
Third-time Horizons councillor David Cotton said it was always exciting to meet the new councillors.
David Cotton said he will not be running for chair of the catchment committee this term. Photo / Supplied
"I've spoken to them on the phone, but it's nothing like meeting them face to face. So though we've all met, Tuesday will be the first formal day."
He said there was a meet-and-greet in Palmerston North last week for all of the Horizons councillors to meet each other and discuss topics of interest for the next term.
Cotton said he wouldn't want to speak on the other members' behalf regarding what they wanted to focus on.
"But that'll all come out in the coming weeks as we get the whiteboard out and see what the important issues are, and I look forward to that."
Cotton was on the environment committee and chaired the catchment committee for the last two terms.
"I won't be putting my name forward to chair the catchment committee this term because I believe six years is a good run.
"It's time to have fresh eyes, and they will pick up on things that I didn't."
He said his role this term would be a more general role focusing on bridging the gap between the council and residents.
"One of the most important roles as a councillor is to ensure you have transparency between what the community want and what we provide."
This will be Alan Taylor's first term as a Horizons councillor. Photo / Supplied
The meeting on Tuesday will be Alan Taylor's first meeting as a Horizons councillor.
Taylor, who had served two terms on the Whanganui District Council and three terms as chairman of the rural community board before that, is one of five new councillors.
"The committee structures won't be decided at the inaugural meeting, so at this stage I have my interests but I'll keep that quite close to my chest," Taylor said.
