By WAYNE THOMPSON
North Shore Mayor George Wood faces two challengers in next month's election but believes he can break the one-term jinx that dogged previous mayors.
He said yesterday that he hoped voters would decide continuity of leadership was important.
Gayle Leybourne and Joel Cayford, the two who have so far stepped forward to contest the mayoralty, obviously disagree.
With Mr Wood at the helm, the council has tackled immense waste-water and stormwater problems, which gave rise to the nickname "City of Sewers". The council hopes to change that to "City of Buses".
It is trying to ease traffic congestion and commuter frustrations by planning a rapid busway along the Northern Motorway from Albany and feeder routes from the suburbs.
The council is also under pressure to spend about $20 million to enlarge the parkland at Long Bay.
A capital programme of nearly $100 million a year is weighing heavily on ratepayers, who were quick to form groups calling for a moderate spending regime.
With experience in ratepayers' groups and Greypower, Gayle Leybourne, of Birkdale, said debt was a major issue and spending must be restricted to basics.
Forty per cent of the residents earned less than $20,000.
She wants the city to concentrate on finishing its wastewater projects.
Dr Cayford, a Devonport businessman, is a first-term councillor, prominent environmental activist and former Green Party co-convener.
His campaign plank is "Better Transport - Healthy Water".
Dr Cayford is deputy chairman of the council works and environment committee and represents the city on the Watercare Shareholders Group.
Given the electoral heat generated by a predicted rates increase of 6 per cent next year on top of this year's 4.95 per cent, further mayoral hopefuls could be nominated by the deadline of noon tomorrow. In 1998, nine candidates stood.
Feature: Local body elections 2001
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