Hastings is flagging its intention to back government plans to streamline and amalgamate councils while Napier is likely to oppose it at every step.
Hastings District Council will meet today to approve its submission to the "Better Local Government" reforms, an amendment bill to the Local Government Act 2002.
The bill included a proposal to make it easier for councils to reorganise by using the results of a poll over the total area affected by the merger. The current rule allowed polls in each area, which must all return a result in favour of amalgamation in order for it to go ahead.
It was used at the previous attempt to merge Napier and Hastings in 1999. Hastings voted in favour, Napier against, and so the status quo was retained.
The Hastings council's submission said it was "strongly supportive" of the changes around merger proposals.