Mayor Phil settles into office
New South Taranaki mayor Phil Nixon has brought a piece of the farm to town with him.
Although he has yet to be officially sworn in and given the right to wear the mayoral chains, he has already moved into his council office.
On the wall now is a favourite artwork, a rural still-life scene by Taranaki artist Kirsty Menell that includes a pair of gumboots, a copy of the Taranaki Daily News and the mountain.
He had to negotiate with his wife, Tanya, to bring it from home on the family farm at Inaha, he said.
‘‘It’s definitely South Taranaki, the right side of the mountain, and there’s the Swanndri, Red Bands and the Daily News, and by a local artist. It’s great.’’
Nixon is thrilled with his new role and the endorsement he was given by the electorate. He tallied more than 5200 votes, well ahead of rivals Craig Baylis on 1931 and Clem Coxhead on 1052, as at Sunday evening.
He has not yet decided who will be his deputy.
Until the results are officially declared today, he is still unsure exactly who will join him at the council table.
‘‘I’m really pleased with my new council, although I am really feeling for some members who still have their results in the air.’’
There are only five votes between council aspirant Celine Filbee, who has 2007, and Racquel Cleaver, who has 2002, while Diana Reid is only a few votes ahead on 2024.
If Filbee holds her seat on the council, her Te Ha¯wera Community Board seat will go to Russell Hockley, but if Cleaver’s votes overtake her, she will retain the community board seat and he will miss out.
In Eltham, community board candidates Lindsay Maindonald and Dianne Anderson were also neck and neck.
Nixon is also waiting – he’ll finally get to celebrate the win with his family at Labour Weekend when many of them are in town for the Ha¯ wera High School centennial celebration.
‘‘I’m really pleased with my new council, although I am really feeling for some members who still have their results in the air.’’
Newly elected South Taranaki mayor Phil Nixon
‘‘All our four boys and their partners will be home for the school centennial,’’ he said.
His two sisters and brother and their partners were also coming over for the gathering.
The new council meets for the first time and to be sworn in on October 24.
Nixon plans to carry on with the projects the previous council had under way, including the business park and revitalising the region’s smaller towns.
One new project he will be introducing is an innovation centre to support businesses to set up and grow.
‘‘People can come in with ideas and work together developing them. There will be help there to brainstorm and research things, and office space to develop any product or business. There are several of them running very successfully around the country in small centres and the cities,’’ he said.