Tauranga City Council's $285,000 byelection going ahead despite commission threat

Electoral officer for Tauranga City Council Warwick Lampp. Photo / File

An electoral officer says another councillor resignation is the only way to delay the Tauranga City Council's by-election and save the city up to $285,000 as the Government considers installing a commission.

A double by-election is 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, in what has been a fractious year for the council.

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.

Electoral officer for the council Warwick Lampp, of Electionz.com, said the by-election process will carry on as planned until commissioners are appointed.

"The moment they are appointed, the by-elections stop, no matter where they are in the process at that point."

The minister has 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, the timing would not avoid significant costs being incurred by both the council and election candidates.

The cost of the combined by-election to the council has been estimated at $285,000. The majority of these costs are incurred before voting opens.

They include 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 by-elections would be if there was another councillor resignation between now and when voting papers start to be delivered about January 22."

There are nine elected members at present, led by acting mayor Tina Salisbury. None have publicly indicated they intend to resign.

To date, no candidates have officially put their name forward to stand for either the mayoralty or the vacant councillor seat. Some have made public statements indicating they intend to run.