'Michael Laws' yours for $100+

WHAT WOULD YOU PAY? This name plate is for sale, with proceeds going to the cost of the by-election made necessary by Michael Laws' resignation. Photo/Stuart Munro

A Wanganui district councillor has taken an entrepreneurial approach to raising funds for the upcoming by-election.

Councillor Michael Laws has resigned his seat around the council table to take up a job in Timaru, and will no longer be a councillor from the end of April.

His colleague, councillor Ray Stevens, has decided to auction off Mr Laws' name plate that sits on the council table in front of him during meetings.

Mr Stevens said the money raised would go toward the estimated $40,000 by-election cost.

The small brass-coloured plate says: "MICHAEL LAWS Councillor".

Mr Stevens said he had not asked anyone's permission to sell the name plate.

"It belongs to the community and I'm selling it on behalf of the community. I'm not keeping the money for myself - it's all going straight to the council."

He said the idea had come from rural community board member Erin Reeve: "She sowed the seed, and I picked it up and ran with it."

Mr Stevens put the auction up on Tuesday evening with a $1 reserve. By 5pm yesterday it had attracted 32 bids and had reached $102.

In the questions-and-answers section of the auction, one person asked: "This has to be a joke surely?"

Mr Stevens replied: "Deadly serious. The value, if any, will be determined by the bidders here."

Another asked if Mr Stevens could provide a plate with John Key's name on it.

"Sorry, John Key is not a member of the Wanganui District Council," Mr Stevens said.

He had not discussed the auction with Mr Laws, he said. "He might want to put in a bid as a gesture of goodwill towards Wanganui."

Mr Laws did not respond to questions from the Wanganui Chronicle.

The only comment Mr Stevens received from council colleagues was from one who said: "You obviously don't have enough to do, Ray."

Mr Stevens said he took being a councillor seriously: "But I like to enjoy myself, too."