Minister of Local Government Anne Tolley appears unlikely to intervene in Horowhenua's deputy mayor stoush, despite Mayor Michael Feyen wanting government input.
Mr Feyen has said he wrote to Mrs Tolley "urgently" last month. He wanted clarity around legislation that enabled him to choose a deputy mayor and councillors to vote off his choice.
Last month, Mr Feyen was unsuccessful in an attempt to have councillor Ross Campbell reinstated as deputy mayor, with council staff saying legal advice indicated the mayor did not have that power. It was the second time he had attempted the move since councillors voted Mr Campbell off in December.
Mr Feyen has said he would regard Mr Campbell as his deputy anyway. Councillor Wayne Bishop is the deputy mayor.
Following a query from the Horowhenua Chronicle, Mrs Tolley said all councils faced challenges from time to time, and the local government framework provided mechanisms to deal with them.