Voting papers have started arriving in mailboxes for this year's Local Government Elections. Photo / Bevan Conley
Voting papers have started arriving in mailboxes for this year's Local Government Elections. Photo / Bevan Conley
In this year's local government elections, there are five candidates vying for the four available seats in the Stratford District Council Rural Ward.
There is no election this year for the Stratford mayoral seat, the Stratford Māori ward, or the Stratford Urban Ward, as in each case the number ofcandidates matched the total number of seats available, meaning those candidates were elected unopposed.
In alphabetical order, the candidates standing for the Stratford District Council Rural Ward are Steve Beck, Grant Boyde, Amanda Harris, Vaughan Jones and Nicole McDonald.
Voting packs will be delivered to enrolled voters from Friday, September 16 this year, and voting will close at noon on Saturday, October 8. The Stratford District Council uses the First Past the Post (FPP) electoral system, which means the four candidates with the most votes will be elected.
The Stratford Press contacted all candidates by email on Wednesday, August 24, giving them a list of 12 questions to answer by noon on Friday, August 26. They were asked to keep each answer under 100 words. Their responses to these questions will be run in the Stratford Press over the next few weeks in the lead-up to the election. Their answers will also be available online a few days before they run in the print edition, for our Premium subscribers.
This week, in the last of the series, candidates face questions on what three qualities they bring to the table, and if they think Stratford District Council has a responsibility to act on climate change.
Question: What three qualities do you bring to the table?
Steve Beck is standing for election in this year's local government elections in the rural ward. Photo / supplied
Steve Beck: Honesty, Integrity, and a passion for Stratford to stay as a 'stand-alone' council.
Question: Climate change - should Stratford District Council be doing anything about it, and if so, what?
Steve Beck is standing for election in this year's local government elections in the rural ward. Photo / supplied
Steve Beck: Short answer is No. Our Central Government is making a shambles of this without Local government adding to the debacle. But on another note, global pollution (not CO2) is out of control. This should be at the forefront of our conversations. I support meaningful council initiatives to explore environmentally friendly changes in our district to reduce waste and recycle a lot more. If embraced, I believe Stratford could lead Taranaki in this arena.
Grant Boyde is standing for election in this year's local government elections in the rural ward. Photo / supplied
Grant Boyde: Climate Change is being recognized in every decision Council makes and Council is following all legislative requirements.
Amanda Harris is standing for election in this year's local government elections in the rural ward. Photo / supplied
Amanda Harris: Yes – Council has the opportunity to be the link between the community it represents and Central Government legislation, to adapt and educate.
Vaughan Jones is standing for election in this year's local government elections in the rural ward. Photo / supplied
Vaughan Jones: When making decisions in all areas of council, climate change needs to be taken into consideration but shouldn't hinder making the best decision.
Nicole McDonald is standing for election in this year's local government elections in the rural ward. Photo / supplied
Nicole McDonald: I believe that Council should be looking at all risks to the district whether it's climate, economic and even pandemics, and providing a response to minimise the chances of major events. This requires open conversations receiving good advice and making good decisions when investing in infrastructure.
