Northland's newly elected mayors (from left): Kaipara Mayor Jonathan Larsen, Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper and Far North Mayor Moko Tepania.
Northland's newly elected mayors (from left): Kaipara Mayor Jonathan Larsen, Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper and Far North Mayor Moko Tepania.
Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper says locals will have to wait for up to two weeks before learning who the new deputy mayor is.
Couper said he had several people in mind for the position but would not be drawn on who.
He said he first wanted to sit down withhis new council and have one-on-ones with his councillors, to look at their skills and abilities and areas of interest.
The deputy mayor would be chosen after that.
Couper has been elected to helm a 14-member council, Northland’s biggest top table.
“It’s one of the decisions a mayor can be a bit selfish about,” he said.
Tepania’s decision would be made before Far North District Council’s swearing-in ceremony and first council meeting in Kaikohe on Wednesday.
Tepania said he probably would have offered the role initially to his deputy mayor from the last term, Kelly Stratford.
But Stratford has told him she did not wish to take on this role for the 2025-2028 term.
Tepania said the new council was made up of great people from among whom he’d find an awesome deputy.
He said he looked forward to starting his one-to-ones with the incoming councillors tomorrow as part of selecting his deputy.
Kelly Stratford did not wish to take on the deputy mayor role for the 2025-2028 term.
Stratford said she had enjoyed her time as deputy mayor but she wanted to return to being a Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Ward councillor.
She would have more time to catch up with locals in a “cuppa with a councillor” than when she was Deputy Mayor.
Stratford said she also looked forward to opportunities for regional-level local government involvement and she wanted to spend more time with family after the birth of her first grandchild in March.
Meanwhile, Northland Regional Council’s chair and deputy chair will be chosen by its nine incoming politicians at the council’s inaugural meeting in Whangārei on November 5. The council’s former chair Geoff Crawford has been re-elected unopposed.
Whangārei District Council’s swearing-in ceremony for its new council will be on the same day, the first council meeting on November 11.
New Kaipara Mayor Jonathan Larsen has already confirmed his Deputy Mayor, Gordon Lambeth.
Kaipara District Council (KDC) has set aside two potential dates for its inaugural swearing-in ceremony and council meeting due to at least two voting recounts being sought.
The first date is November 5, if recount applications are dismissed or the process of getting a recount completed happens quickly.
November 12 has been set aside for KDC’s second potential first meeting date.
■ LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
