Who do you want on your local council?
On July 19 nominations open for election to local council seats so it’s time to start thinking about who you want as your mayor and local councillors over the next three years. As an eligible voter in the 2019 local elections, your choices on who should make the immediate and future decisions on your communities start now.
Maybe you are considering standing for council yourself or supporting someone else. Or you intend to add to the much-needed debate on just who should be there?
If we look at the current lot (those who successfully stood for election three years ago) more than 80 per cent are over the age of 50 years. Given the obvious need for greater diversity on our councils, the surprise is that the number of older
councillors shows little sign of falling. This is despite all the talk about our local councils needing a greater spread of ethnicities, increased gender equality and younger people elected (a debate already well under way this year).
In the 2016 election women were elected to just over a third of available seats, Ma¯ ori to 10 per cent and younger councillors (those under 40 years) only gained 6 per cent of council seats. The number of councillors representing other cultures was negligible.
So why is this and why does it matter? First, incumbents have a higher chance of being re-elected as they may be the only names voters recognise on the voting forms, regardless of the job they may have done.
Second, the barriers are many for those wanting to stand for council due to the workload involved, the costs of standing for election and the realities of busy lives and family and employment obligations.
Only a quarter of all those elected in 2016 were new to the council. So, if you intend to be a new candidate you have work to do!
The reality is that local democracy works best with a broad range of different councillors making decisions on our behalf. Councils that look like their communities (in age, gender, ethnicity, income, etc), have a wealth of skills and views plus a variety of life experience and opportunities which can only enrich and inform debate on the increasingly urgent issues on council agendas today.
The key for those considering standing for council election is a keen understanding of what’s involved in being a political representative. Elected mayors and councillors are there to represent the interests of those who have elected them so they need a clear understanding of accountability.
Knowledge of their communities and local issues, along with existing community involvement is also essential. They also need to know how local government works and how decisions are made at this level of government.
All candidates have the opportunity to sell themselves to their voters in the short statement they submit with their nomination form. It is sent out in the election booklet with the voting papers.
Don’t waste space telling us you have lived here all your life and you love the place. Tell us what the issues are that are important to you and what you think should be done about them.
And include a way in which voters can contact you if they want to know more and have questions (email, phone number, etc). Remember this statement is, for most voters, the only thing they will know about you.
And get out there and campaign. If you haven’t got time, why are you standing for a council seat? Your accountability starts as soon as your nomination is in.
Jean Drage is a researcher, writer and teacher of local government and politics in New Zealand with a special interest in political representation and local elections.