Information for candidates

The mayor is elected by the district as a whole and, as one of the elected members, shares the same responsibilities as other members of the council.

The mayor also has the following roles:

• presiding at council meetings including ensuring the orderly conduct of business during meetings (as determined by standing orders)
• advocating on behalf of the community involving the promotion of the community and representation of its interests. Such advocacy will be most effective where it is carried out with the knowledge and support of the council;
• spokesperson for the council
• ceremonial head of the council
• providing leadership and feedback to other elected members on teamwork and chairing of committees
• fulfilling the responsibilities of a Justice of the Peace (while the mayor holds office)
• providing leadership to the other members of the council and the people of the area
• leading the development of the council’s plans, policies, and budgets for consideration by the members of the council.

The mayor has the power to appoint the deputy mayor.

The deputy mayor exercises the same roles as other elected members, and if the mayor is absent or incapacitated, the deputy mayor must perform all of the responsibilities and duties, and may exercise the powers, of the mayor (as summarised above). The deputy mayor may be removed from office by resolution of the council.

Collective duties of the council

• Representing the interests of the council
• Formulating the council’s strategic direction and relative priorities through the Long Term Plan (LTP), which determines the services and activities to be undertaken by council over a ten-year period
• Determining the expenditure and funding requirements of council activities through the LTP and annual planning processes
• Overseeing, developing and/or approving all council policies, administrative, legal, financial and strategic, including formal regional, city and/or district planning matters within the council’s geographical area of responsibility
• Monitoring the ongoing performance of council against its stated objectives and policies (including formal signoff of the Annual Report)
• Ensuring prudent use of council resources
• Law-making (bylaws)
• Overseeing council compliance with any relevant Acts of Parliament
• Employing, setting performance requirements for, and monitoring the ongoing performance of the council’s Chief Executive. (Under the Local Government Act 2002, the local authority employs the Chief Executive who, in turn, employs all other staff on its behalf – elected members of council have no responsibilities for, and cannot direct, any staff employed by the council other than the Chief Executive.)

Representation and advocacy

• Bringing the views of the community into council decision-making processes
• Being an advocate for community groups and individuals at council meetings
• Balancing the need to advocate for specific interests against the needs of the wider community
• Listening to the concerns of local residents and ratepayers on issues pertaining to the council
• Maintaining contact with community representatives and other local stakeholders
• Participating in any relevant consultative processes with the local community and/or other organisations.

Governance

• Participating constructively and effectively in the good governance of the council as a whole
• Understanding and ensuring that basic principles of good governance are a part of the decision-making approach of the council
• Understanding and respecting the differing roles of Mayor (or Chair for a regional council), Deputy Mayor, committee chairs/portfolio holders and councillors
• Recognising that the governance role does not extend to operational matters or to the management of any implementation
• Having a good understanding of the council processesset out in the Standing Orders that determine how council meetings are run
• Developing and maintaining a working knowledge of council services, management processes, powers, duties and constraints
• Participating in the setting and monitoring of council policies, budgets, strategies and service delivery through annual and long-term planning processes
• Ensuring familiarity with agendas and other council reports before council meetings
• Being familiar with and complying with the statutory requirements of an elected councillor
• Complying with the Code of Conduct adopted by the council
• Identifying, being aware of and declaring any potential personal conflicts of interest, whether of a pecuniary or non-pecuniary nature.

Elected members have two broad roles; a representative role and a governance role.

The amount of time spent on each will vary depending upon the particular elected position. Mayors and councillors will spend a large part of their time on governance matters, as they have the overall responsibility for the performance of the council organisation.

In short, your task is to provide good governance informed by the views of your community.

Good governance balances short-term and long-term responsibilities, the stewardship of the organisation, as well as the knowledge of external opportunities and challenges.

Exercising your governance role

Mayors and councillors, in particular, will be concerned with the overall performance of the council organisation; the degree to which it meets its statutory obligations, fulfils community expectations and looks after its assets. The role includes:

• planning and policy making;
• making decisions on the allocation of resources;
• ensuring council is fulfilling its regulatory functions in an appropriate manner;
• adopting a Long Term Plan that sets out how you will meet community expectations and exercise responsible stewardship of the community’s assets;
• overseeing the strategic direction of the district, city or region; and
• reviewing the council’s performance.

A critical responsibility is to provide good governance. This is summarised in the graphic below prepared by the NZ Institute of Directors.

Good governance balances short-term and long-term responsibilities, and the stewardship of the organisation, as well as the knowledge of external opportunities and challenges.

Exercising your representation role

In your representative role you will be expected to speak on behalf of individuals and organisations in your community, and this may include people who didn’t vote for you. You won’t be able to please all of the people all of the time, but you must still represent their views, even though you may vote differently at the council table. As an elected member you swear an oath to act in the best interests of the district as a whole. This is because you will often be making decisions that take into account the wider context and the needs of future generations.

Representing citizens in your community goes beyond simply being an advocate. It involves forming relationships, consulting with and empowering groups and organisations. Being a good communicator and listening to people is clearly important. This role involves:

• representing the interests of the residents and ratepayers;
• networking and communicating with local residents;
• providing leadership and guidance to the community;
• facilitating communication between the council and the community; and
• promoting the overall interests of the council to external stakeholders.

Being an effective elected member can be a challenging experience, it requires balancing competing demands for your time and exercising your judgement about what is important. It also requires being able to work well with other people from a wide range of backgrounds and using a broad range of skills and competencies. The following skills and knowledge are important for becoming an effective elected member:

Quality decision-making

• Making decisions based on kaimahi (staff) advice, community views, wisdom, experience, and informed judgement.
• Being financially prudent and having an eye for risk.

Strategic thinking

• Understanding the district, city or region’s priorities and how they relate to national and international developments.

Political and policy acumen

• Understanding the political environment and the respective roles of governors and management.
• Getting to the bottom of issues and being able to assess the pros and cons of different options.

Leadership

• Providing direction and making things happen to achieve the council’s vision and outcomes with an emphasis on strategic priorities.

Cultural awareness

• Understanding and empathising with the different peoples and cultures within the council’s jurisdiction.
• Understanding tikanga Māori and the council’s responsibilities under the Treaty of Waitangi.
• Bringing an open-mind to decision-making.
• Understanding how local government impacts on different peoples and cultures.

Knowledge of local government

• Understanding the role of the council and its financial language, budgets and processes
• Understanding and complying with relevant legislation.

Communication and engagement

• Representing and promoting the council in a measured, unified and dignified light and avoiding risks to council’s reputation.
• Working effectively with the media, as appropriate.

Relationship building and teamwork

• Building productive and supportive relationships with the community, councillors, and external organisations to create and deliver the council’s vision and outcomes.

Behaviours

• Understanding and modeling the council’s values and behaviours and discouraging unethical behaviour.
• Working respectfully with council kaimahi (staff) and others, and valuing their roles.

Integrity and trust

• Taking ownership and responsibility for actions and not misrepresenting him/herself or others for personal gain.

• Genuine interest, understanding (and passion) of/for the issues faced by Taupō District citizens.
• Ability to relate to a wide range of people at many levels and across many disciplines and cultures.
• Ability to hear and understand the varying positions of others and consider these in decision making.
• Ability to express ideas clearly.
• Ability to understand, focus on and resolve complex issues through long term planning.
• Ability to understand financial and reporting statements.
• Understanding of the differing roles of governance and management.
• Ability to think “district-wide” on issues to come to decisions.
• Be results focused.
• Knowledge of and commitment to the Local Government Act 2002.

Qualifications

You don’t need any formal qualifications to stand for council. Elected members come from all backgrounds and walks of life, with varied skill sets and generally have a desire to serve their community.

Experience and background

• May have experience relevant to the challenges facing the district.
• May have extensive community networks.
• Be familiar with the existing Taupō District Council’s 2024-34 Long Term Plan (LTP).

• Demonstrates integrity and ethical behaviour.
• Is independent, inquisitive and innovative.
• Has the ability to see all sides of an argument.
• Is hard working and can work unsupervised.
• Ability to develop and maintain positive working relationships with councillors and staff
• Committed to Taupō District.
• Sense of humour.
• Respect for others.
• Flexible working hours, some evening and weekend work is required
• Actively demonstrate commitment to the Elected Members’ Code of Conduct.