Foss said he'd taken time to "recalibrate" after stepping down from Parliament at the general election two years ago and is ready to put his lot back in again — for the long term — on behalf of the people of the regional council's Hastings constituency and the wider Hawke's Bay.
"Amalgamation is pretty much a dead issue," he said, in answer to a question after issuing a media release.
"But all councillors should expect all of the councils to get the best they can for Hawke's Bay."
Foss said he walked "the environmental and changing climate talk".
"It starts at my home, fencing streams, planting countless native trees, removing pests, creating a QEII conservation block, and installing solar energy."
Of his prospects, the former career banker said: "We need the right balance. Our families, communities and business views, values and expectations for transparency and accountability need to be around the council table."
Another significant feature of late nominations for councils and boards across Hawke's Bay was the 25 candidates provisionally in the hunt for the seven seats on the Hawke's Bay District Health Board.
Included is sitting member Jacoby Poulain, recently involved in a resignation and reversal of that decision amid issues involving a Ministry for Children attempt to uplift a newborn child from Hawke's Bay Hospital two months ago. Having late on Thursday confirmed she's seeking re-election to Hastings District Council in its Flaxmere ward she only made her final decision in another DHB bid shortly before nominations closed.
The nominations reaffirmed there will be elections for all the mayoralties, in Napier, Hastings, Wairoa, Central Hawke's Bay and Tararua, and contrasts in the council races in the twin cities — five sitting councillors and the mayor standing-down from a 13-member team in Napier, but just two departing the 15-strong team in Hastings.
Elections have now also been guaranteed in all four wards of Napier's new full-ward council, with mayoral hopeful Steve Gibson challenging siiting councillors Annette Brosnan and Richard McGrath in the Onekawa-Tamatea ward.
Mayors at the northern and southern extremities each now face three-candidate battles.
Two-term Wairoa Mayor Craig Little faces dual mayoralty and council candidates Waipatu Winitana and Jennifer Takuta-Moses, who is also one of at least nine seeking election in Hawke's Bay's first Maori ward, a three-seat half of the Wairoa council.
In Tararua, incumbent Tracey Collis has challenges from James Arnold and late nomination Mitch McHardy.
The full list of nominations
Some late additions may be yet to be added to council lists.
(*) denotes sitting member
NAPIER CITY COUNCIL
Mayor
David HANNAY, Steve GIBSON, Chris TREMAIN, Kirsten WISE.
Council
Ahuriri Ward (2 vacancies): Matthew BONNETT, Hayley BROWNE, James CROW, Craig MORLEY, (*) Keith PRICE.
Nelson Park Ward (4 vacancies): (*) Maxine BOAG, Sally CROWN, Will JENKINS, Greg MAWSON, Chris STEWART, (*) Api TAPINE.
Onekawa-Tamatea Ward (2 vacancies): (*) Annette BROSNAN, Steve GIBSON, (*) Richard McGRATH.
Taradale Ward (4 vacancies): Jake BROOKIE, Ronda CHRYSTAL, Catherine HAWKINS, Nigel SIMPSON, (*) Graeme TAYLOR, Gary WISE, (*) Tania WRIGHT.
HASTINGS DISTRICT COUNCIL
Mayor
Damon HARVEY, (*) Sandra HAZLEHURST.
Council
Mohaka Ward (1 vacancy): (*) Tania KERR, Stuart PERRY.
Heretaunga Ward (2 vacancies): Alwyn CORBAN, Keith NEWMAN, (*) Ann REDSTONE, Oliver TAYLOR, Jason WHAITIRI.
Hastings-Havelock North Ward (8 vacancies): Sayeed AHMED, (*) Bayden BARBER, Rebecca BURN, (*) Malcolm DIXON, (*) Damon HARVEY, Rizwaana LATIFF, (*) Eileen LAWSON; (*) Simon NIXON, Rion ROBEN, (*) Wendy SCHOLLUM, (*) Geraldine TRAVERS, (*) Kevin WATKINS.
Flaxmere Ward (2 vacancies): Paula MORGAN MIHAKA, (*) Henare O'KEEFE, Peleti OLI, Melanie PETROWSKI, (*) Jacoby POULAIN, Gerraldine KELLY TAHERE.
Kahuranaki Ward (1 vacancy): Sophie SIERS.
Rural Community Board:
Tutira Community Subdivision (1 vacancy): (*) Sue MAXWELL.
Kaweka Community Subdivision (1 vacancy): (*) Nick DAWSON.
Maraekakaho Community Subdivision (1 vacancy): Jonathan STOCKLEY, (*) Lesley WILSON.
Poukawa Community Subdivision (1 vacancy): Marcus BUDDO, Charmaine TUHAKA.
Flaxmere Licensing Trust (6 vacancies):
Martha GREENING, Christine HOKIANGA, Bronwen HOPKINS, (*) Warwick HOWIE, Farley KEENAN, (*) Bert LINCOLN.
CENTRAL HAWKE'S BAY DISTRICT COUNCIL
Mayor
(*) Alex WALKER, Darcie SCOWEN
Council
Aramoana/Ruahine Ward (4 vacancies): (*) Tim AITKEN, Jerry GREER, Hirani MAAKA, (*) Brent MUGGERIDGE, Darcie SCOWEN, Kate TAYLOR.
Ruataniwha Ward (4 vacancies): (*) Kelly ANNAND, (*) Tim CHOTE, (*) Gerard MINEHAN, Exham WICHMAN.
WAIROA DISTRICT COUNCIL
Mayor
(*) Craig LITTLE, Jennifer TAKUTA-MOSES, Waipatu WINITANA.
Council
General Ward (3 vacancies): Dave EVANS, (*) Hine FLOOD, (*) Denise EAGLESOME-KAREKARE, (*) Jeremy HARKER, Murray OLSEN, Waipatu WINITANA.
Maori Ward (3 vacancies): Kuini BEATTIE, Danicka GOLDSACK, Carol GRANT, Melissa KAIMOANA, Kurwari PANERE, Jennifer TAKUTA-MOSES, Wayne TAYLOR, Hinenui TIPOKI-LAWTON, Chaans TUMATAROA-CLARKE.
TARARUA DISTRICT COUNCIL
Mayor
(*) Tracey COLLIS, James HAROLD, Mitch McHARDY.
Council
North Tararua Ward (4 vacancies): Phillip BARNETT, (*) Jim CRISPIN, Paddy DRIVER, Neil GIBBARD, (*) Carole ISAACSON, Michael LONG, Kay McKENZIE, Kathryn MULINDER, Punga MULLINS, Erana PEETI-WEBBER, Brent STEWART, Kerry SUTHERLAND, Sharon WARDS.
South Tararua Ward (4 vacancies): (*) Alison FRANKLIN, (*) Shirley HULL, (*) Peter JOHNS, Raylene Ann TREDER, Rena TYLER.
Community Boards
Dannevirke (4 vacancies): Malia HEMA, Terry HYNES, (*) Ross MacDONALD, Kim SPOONER-TAYLOR, (*) Pat WALSHE.
Eketahuna Community Board (4 vacancies): Terry CAREW, Denise CLIFTON, (*) Charlie DEATH, Steen McGHIE, (*) Pauline WILSON.
HAWKE'S BAY REGIONAL COUNCIL
Central Hawke's Bay (1 vacancy): Will FOLEY, Tony KUKLINSKI.
Hastings (3 vacancies): (*) Rick BARKER, (*) Tom BELFORD, Craig FOSS, (*) Rex GRAHAM, Tim GILBERTSON, Peter GUERIN, Mary O'NEILL, Grant SETON.
Napier (3 vacancies): (*) Paul BAILEY, (*) Neil KIRTON, Nicola NICHOLSON, Hinewai ORMSBY, John SMITH, Martin WILLIAMS.
Ngaruroro (1 vacancy): Jerf van BEEK, Guy WELLWOOD.
Wairoa (1 vacancy): Charles LAMBERT, (*) Fenton WILSON.
HORIZONS REGIONAL COUNCIL
Tararua (1 vacancy): Allan BENBOW, Andrew DAY, Lorraine STEPHENSON.
HAWKE'S BAY DISTRICT HEALTH BOARD (7 vacancies):
Hayley ANDERSON, (*) Ana APATU, (*) Kevin ATKINSON, Paul BEBBINGTON, Garry BRIAN, Annette BROSNAN, Garth COWIE, James CROW, David DAVIDSON, (*) Peter DUNKERLEY, (*) Hine FLOOD, Trish GIDDENS, Leona KARAURIA, Rizwaana LATIFF, Anna LORCK, Graeme NORTON, Umang PATEL, (*) Jacoby POULAIN, (*) Heather SKIPWORTH, John SMITH, Gerraldine Kelly TAHERE, Hinenui TIPOKI-LAWTON, Claire VOGTHERR, Julia WILSON, Jason WHAITIRI.
MID CENTRAL DISTRICT HEALTH BOARD (7 vacancies):
ASTARTE, Heather BROWNING, (*) Vaughan DENNISON, Michael FEYEN, Adrian GREGORY, Lewis Wilson FINDLAY, Muriel HANCOCK, Dorothy LOCK, (*) Karen NAYLOR, Cat PAUSE, (*) Leslie PILLOW, Rebecca TAYLOR, John WALDON, Jenny WARREN, Shelly WARWICK.
