Time to look at who really runs the city

Turnout in the Auckland local elections is likely to hit an all-time low and the result, with a few exceptions, looks pretty much like a stay-put outcome, though we can at least thank John Tamihere for making an entertaining fight for the mayoralty with some off-the-wall policies that at least got people talking.

Both the Phil Goff and Tamihere teams reported healthy interest in the campaign with more than 40 well-attended mayoral debates around the city, but this didn’t translate into participation, perhaps indicating that the average Aucklander sees the council and local boards as remote and irrelevant to daily life.

Despite falling short, Tamihere did well enough for him to consider another tilt at the big job in three years’ time when there won’t be an incumbent in the race.

Auckland is the largest council in Oceania with a $3 billion annual budget, and nearly 10,000 full-time staff. With such an apparent lack of voter engagement, perhaps it is time to have another look at the corporate ‘super city’ structure that was foisted on Aucklanders almost nine years ago.

The elected representatives, the councillors, directly employ only the handsomely remunerated CEO and many of the normal responsibilities of a local authority are vested in what are ironically known as the council-controlled organisations or CCOs.

I had first-hand experience of just how little control Auckland Council has over these entities when I was the sole councilappointed director on the founding board of Auckland Transport.

This CCO spends half of Aucklanders’ rates and despite a council directive telling all the CCOs to make use of the city’s po¯ hutukawa emblem, AT thumbed its metaphorical nose at the council and commissioned its own logo, which you will see on the city’s buses and trains.

The big winner yesterday despite the low turnout was the Labour Party with both explicitly Labour and Labouraligned City Vision candidates doing well across the metropolis.

As well as Goff, at least three former Labour MPs – Ross Robertson, Ashraf Choudhary and Chris Carter – will be topping up their parliamentary superannuation with local board seats.

Goff deserves his second term as mayor. He may be vanillaflavoured, but he exudes competence and moderation, which catches the mood of a multi-cultural city with all the challenges that come with rapid growth.

For the next generation of civic leaders, keep an eye on hard-working and articulate new Labour councillor Shane Henderson representing West Auckland.

My pick is that if Parliament

doesn’t beckon him too soon, he’ll be a contender for mayor in the future.

Sadly, a possible loser is Mike Lee, who may be facing the end of a glittering 27-year career in local government.

He’s trailing the City Vision candidate by 154 votes, but may squeak back on special votes.

I sat beside Mike on the AT board for three years and as a former chair of the Auckland Regional Council, his knowledge and experience of the city is unparalleled.

If Lee finally concedes defeat, Jacinda Ardern should make sure his talents don’t go to waste.