Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown announced he is seeking a second term. Photo / Alex Burton
Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown announced he is seeking a second term. Photo / Alex Burton
Wayne Brown seeks a second term as AucklandMayor, emphasising his achievements and plans for CCOs.
Brown’s tenure includes tackling a $360 million budget hole and aiming to “Fix Auckland”.
Potential challengers include Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson and Whau Councillor Kerrin Leoni.
Wayne Brown has announced he is seeking a second term as mayor - asking Aucklanders to “back me to finish the job”.
“Over the last three years, we’ve made some real progress, but there’s still much more to do,” Brown told supporters today at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadronat Westhaven Marina.
“This city has a brilliant future, and being mayor is a job I want to keep doing.”
Brown, however, was not keen to discuss a potential challenge from his deputy, Desley Simpson, and whether he had discussed the issue with the popular Ōrākei councillor, saying it was not a discussion point.
“This is about my success and me being mayor,” he said, indicating he was confident of winning at October’s local body elections.
Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson has her eyes on the city chains.
“If you look around today, I have got all the segments that create our population - the business sector, the property sector, all the sectors of our ethnic groups. I’ve got South Auckland, sports people and the environmental groups.”
In a brief statement today, Simpson told the Herald she is still mulling over what she will do.
Brown’s first term has been unconventional after two terms each by Labour-endorsed mayors Len Brown and Phil Goff. His tenure has been marked by blunt talk, abrasive outbursts and a governing style that has divided opinion.
After sweeping to power in 2022 with a 50,000-plus majority over the Labour-endorsed candidate Efeso Collins, the engineer and former Far North District Council Mayor came under fire for his sluggish response to the Auckland Anniversary Weekend floods in 2023.
Since then, the 78-year-old has focused on his promise to “Fix Auckland” by tackling a $360 million budget hole, setting up the Auckland Future Fund to improve non-rates revenue and beginning the process of taking control back of the council-controlled organisations (CCOs).
Wayne Brown (right) beat the late Efeso Collins by more than 50,000 votes in 2022. Photo / Alex Burton
In his speech, Brown said he had to draw on all his experience and skills to achieve anything in his first term, saying he will be even tougher, and better at it, in the second term.
He said good progress had been made on his five policies to “Fix Auckland” - stop wasting money, take back control of council-controlled organisations (CCOs), finish big projects, speed up Auckland traffic using high-tech, and make better use of the harbour - but “much more remains to be done”.
Brown said the council and its CCO still manage to waste money “but managers are learning it is not career-enhancing”, and he focused on the next steps of taking control of the CCOs, particularly Auckland Transport.
“Most importantly, the Government has agreed to legislate so Auckland Council becomes the road-controlling authority just like other councils,” he said.
“They (AT) have been out of control for so long, it’ll take a bit of a whip to keep them understanding that things are about to change.
Phil Goff (left) and Len Brown each served two terms as Auckland Mayor. Photos / Mark Mitchell and Jason Oxenham
“Lastly, there have been big changes at the harbour. Ports of Auckland have finally become profitable but it took the threat of sale to make that happen and the public are loving Browny’s pool, the cheapest ever pool at under $200k,” Brown said.
The mayor also referred to his political neutrality and “own unique, friendly, style” and “kind, gentle negotiating style”, bringing howls of laughter in the room.
Brown said he will have more to say about his goals and ambitions for a second term as the year unfolds.
“For now, my commitment remains the same – delivering for Aucklanders,” he said.
“This city has a brilliant future, and it’s a job I want to keep doing. Let’s finish the job together.”
Simpson’s interest in the mayoralty became public after the Auckland Ratepayers’ Alliance revealed on January 30 that the domain “Desleyformayor.co.nz” was registered by her son this year.
Auckland Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson has expressed an interest in standing for mayor. Photo / Jason Oxenham
Simpson, the councillor for Ōrākei, told the Herald on her return from an overseas holiday the domain was “a bit of a laugh”, but did not rule out standing.
She confirmed she had been thinking about running for mayor, but it was “a bit soon” for a decision.
Whau councillor Kerrin Leoni, a Labour Party member, has announced she wants to be the first Māori Mayor of Tāmaki Makaurau.
