Deane puts hand up for mayor again
Requests from supporters to go for mayor again has prompted a popular candidate to step forward in this year’s mayoral election.
Tracey Deane, who came second to Neil Sinclair with 1956 votes to his 2807 at the last election, is keen to translate ideas into action this time around.
The level of need in the community has raised a concern with Deane who said more needed to be done.
‘‘As a council we need to make sure that we’re doing our part but there’s a whole lot more we can do with collaboration, using our positions to get groups together when we see an issue.’’
‘‘Everyone’s equal to me. Everyone’s important, everyone’s included. Everyone has their problems and we all need support and as a council we need to be doing our part. Council is meant to enable people, not be a barrier.’’
Deane still actively works behind the scenes supporting a range of community initiatives from Love Soup Tokoroa to the Start Careers and Start Living Expo.
She worked as an economic development coordinator for the South Waikato District Council in 2012 and saw the issues first hand.
She said it was an ‘‘awesome role’’ but she couldn’t get any traction on the potential she saw.
‘‘There were no business people in council so when I was saying X,Y,Z, they couldn’t understand what I was saying. It was put in the too hard basket.’’
Deane said it was difficult to have her ideas presented to council with a management team that couldn’t understand economics.
‘‘Without that thirty years of understanding business, the knowledge wasn’t there.
‘‘That’s why I want the mayoral role because I can make sure the people are heard and that proper debate happens in the Chamber. Let the people hear it.’’
Her business portfolio spans over 30-years working with businesses and charities.
Understanding your community and having a world view to connect with people are qualities Deane said were important to developing the district’s economic success.
‘‘We need someone who can drive the district.
‘‘The mayoral role is an advocacy role. .The buck stops there. That’s how it’s meant to be.’’