Former Tauranga mayor Greg Brownless is wanting clarification from the Government as a byelection for Tauranga City Council looms. Photo / File
Former Tauranga mayor Greg Brownless is wanting clarification from the Government as a byelection for Tauranga City Council looms. Photo / File
Candidates considering running in the Tauranga City Council byelection have been left in limbo as the Local Government Minister considers replacing elected members with a commission.
Nominations are open for a February 17 byelection to elect a new Tauranga mayor and Ōtumoetai-Pyes Pa Ward councillor.
The estimated cost of thebyelection is $285,000 but an electoral officer says the process must carry on until a commission is appointed.
Minister Nanaia Mahuta is expected to make her final decision early in the new year.
That's not soon enough for one former mayor considering running again.
Greg Brownless, mayor from 2016 to 2019, said a decision regarding the commission needed to be made quickly to avoid the cost to ratepayers.
"I would just like the Government to make a decision one way or the other as quickly as possible so that people considering standing don't waste their time."
In his view, a decision should be made before nominations for the byelection closed.
He said it would be "pointless" to continue his own campaign, considering what was happening.
"I think there is a strong indication that there will be commissioners coming in so a decision needs to be made before nominations close. That will ensure people don't waste their time and money."
Potential Tauranga City Council candidate Murray Guy. Photo / File
Former councillor Murray Guy intended to run for the Ōtumoetai/Pyes Pa Ward but said he would not be putting his nomination through until Mahuta had made a decision.
"I personally wouldn't be investing in that process until there was greater clarity around the likelihood of the outcome from the minister."
He questioned if he were to nominate himself as a candidate, would he be reimbursed.
First-time candidate Keegan Miller said he would run regardless of the end commission result. That way, come an election following the possible commission, he would have experience up his sleeve.
"I think this notion that the only way we can not spend $285,000 is for another elected member to resign, is absolutely absurd."
A double byelection was planned for February to elect a new mayor and ward councillor following the resignations of former mayor Tenby Powell last month and councillor Jako Abrie in October.
On Friday, Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced she intended to replace the full council governance team with a Government-appointed commission and would make a final decision early in the new year.
Voting is due to open on January 26 and close on February 17.
Tauranga City Council electoral officer Warwick Lampp. Photo / File
Electoral officer for the council Warwick Lampp, of Electionz.com, said the byelection process would carry on as planned until commissioners were appointed.
"The moment they are appointed, the byelections stop, no matter where they are in the process at that point."
The minister had indicated the term of the commission would start at the beginning of February.
While that would avoid electing "lame duck" members only to remove them but the timing would not avoid significant costs being incurred by both the council and election candidates.
The cost of the combined byelection to the council had been estimated at $285,000. The majority of these costs were incurred before voting opens.
They included advertising and the printing of envelopes, voting papers and candidate booklets.
Lampp said the council did not have any options to avoid incurring those costs.
"We are in a legislative process, it continues as is, the costs are the costs. The only option to delay the byelections would be if there was another councillor resignation between now and when voting papers start to be delivered about January 22."
There were presently nine elected members led by acting mayor Tina Salisbury. None had publicly indicated they intended to resign.
Mahuta was approached for comment but did not respond by deadline.
