Wairoa is faced with yet another interesting local election, with the mayor and his six councillors all seeking re-election, amid a vote on whether the council should have a Maori electoral ward..
However, one of the incumbents will miss out, with present mayor Craig Little and councillor Benita Cairns seeking only the top job. The pair are in a three-way race with retired teacher Roland Matley, who is also seeking council election.
As in the last triennial elections in 2013, when Mr Little ousted incumbent Les Probert and had almost double the vote of nearest challenger and former mayor Derek Fox, there will be 14 on the council ballot.
Rather than reflecting any dissatisfaction with the way Wairoa is headed, the numbers perhaps reflected an interest in being in on the action, although there are hints of some fractious issues of the past three years.
The first big issue developed in 2014 over differences in spending on some council projects and initiatives.