Whangarei Mayor Morris Cutforth wanted to finish with a flourish. Instead, the mayor has acknowledged he was going out with a "whimper" and a song.
Mr Cutforth gave his valedictory speech to councillors and staff yesterday after he decided not to run for office again after his inaugural three-year term, largely because of ill health that has seen him miss large parts of his term.
His recent painful back fusion operation had seen him lose 10kg which came after a heart attack early in his term that saw him miss several months.
Despite the health problems Mr Cutforth said he was proud to have served the community and worked with a great bunch of councillors.
Mr Cutforth took umbrage at a recent newspaper report implying the council had been operating in a vacuum for the past three years, saying his council had achieved more than any other council had done.