He missed out on the Hastings mayoralty last year, but after encouragement Stuart Perry says he has decided to stand in the fast approaching byelection for a Hastings/Havelock North ward councillor.
Nominations for the candidates close today, and despite previously saying he would not stand Mr Perry had a change of heart in light of the support he had received.
"After a number of emails, phone calls and being stopped by members of the public in the street, I made a decision to nominate.
"I guess many of the issues I was campaigning on during last year's election remain, and added to that has been the fiasco over Te Mata peak track."
Those issues included a lack of consultation and seeming divide between the council executive and the elected councillors and the mayor, he said.