New councils prepare to roll up sleeves
It’s time to roll up the sleeves and get to work for Hawke’s Bay’s councils starting to stage their inaugural meetings following the final declaration of local elections results.
First out of the blocks was the Central Hawke’s Bay District Council, which had the easier of the jobs with Mayor Alex Walker and all eight councillors re-elected — the mayor and the four in one ward unopposed and four in the second ward successful at the vote.
The triennial swearing-in took place in the Municipal Theatre in front of family and friends in the Waipawa Municipal Theatre on Wednesday night.
The longest-serving now is Kelly Annand, who was first elected in 2010 and will now begin a fifth term, also continuing in the role of deputy mayor.
Of the other authorities, the Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, with five new members and the Tararua District Council, with new Mā ori ward member Naioma Chase getting in on just a three-vote majority, staged its inaugurations on October 25.
The Wairoa District Council was yet to confirm its date.
The Napier City Council, with two new members at a table of 13, will be sworn-in on November 1.
The Hastings District Council, with six new members at a table of 16, will have its inaugural meeting on November 3.
Unlike Wairoa, Napier, Hastings, Central Hawke’s Bay and Tararua, where the mayoral incumbents were all re-elected as part of the local elections, the regional council members decide their own leader, with a new chairperson to be chosen at its inaugural meeting to replace Rick Barker, who did not seek re-election.