Candidates still coming in for Stratford District Council seats

Voters will definitely have a choice in the Stratford District Council elections.

With under a day to go before nominations close for the local government elections, more nominations have come in for Council seats.

As of Thursday evening, there are five candidates jostling for the four rural seats available, and 11 for the six urban seats.

The mayoral seat still only has one contender, with incumbent Neil Volzke having put his nomination in a week ago.

Meanwhile, there is only one candidate to have publicly declared they are running for the one Stratford seat at the Taranaki Regional Council.
Incumbent Matthew McDonald, who successfully challenged Brian Jeffares in 2016 for the seat could be re-elected unopposed if no-one else puts their nomination in by Friday noon.

If he is, he may not be the only member of his family to have a seat at one of the region's Council tables.

Matthew's wife, Nicole, has put her nomination in for a seat in the rural ward this year.

Elthamites Nicole and Matthew own Matthew & Co Real Estate Ltd in Stratford.
One of their agents, Mathew Watt, is also standing for Stratford Council, running for a seat in the urban ward.

Current councillor Graham Kelly has yet to put his nomination in, saying on Tuesday he would be standing, but it was "too early to declare".

Current rural councillors who have put their nominations in by Thursday evening are Grant Boyde and Rick Coplestone, who are joined by newcomers Stephen Dravitzki, Amanda Harris and Nicole McDonald.

In the urban ward, incumbents Peter Dalziel, Jono Erwood, Alan Jamieson, John Sandford and Gloria Webby are joined by newcomers Laurie Gooch, John Gray, Min McKay, Tony Milham, Ivan Toopi and Mathew Watt.

Nominations for Taranaki Regional Council, Stratford District Council and the Taranaki Health Board all close at noon tomorrow (Friday 16).

Candidates must have their completed nomination accepted by electoral officers before noon.

To be eligible to stand you need to be a New Zealand citizen, over 18 and on the electoral roll. Anyone wishing to stand as an elected member must be nominated by two people enrolled in the district or ward you intend to stand, and pay a deposit of $200.

Nomination forms are available on Council's website or from Council's Service Centre on Miranda Street.