The outgoing commission chair of Tauranga’s council, Anne Tolley, has made it clear she wants to see new faces elected when the city returns to the polls.
Four of the mayoral candidates are former local elected officials, and more than half of the 15 candidates have run before in elections for various roles
“Good on those old guys for putting their hands up again. I wouldn’t vote for them. Why would you vote for them a second time around?” she told Q+A.
“But, you know, they’re having a go, and I always admire someone who puts themselves out there. It is a hard thing to do to put yourself out to be judged.”
A former Cabinet minister in John Key’s government, Tolley was appointed head of a group of four commissioners to govern Tauranga in 2021.
It followed the sacking of elected representatives, at the urging of then-mayor Tenby Powell, over political dysfunction and a breakdown in public trust.
An observer’s report in 2020 found “a strong questioning of the ability of councillors to act in the best interests of the city, as opposed to the pursuit of personal wins”, among other significant problems.
Successive councils had also failed to maintain infrastructure and plan for population growth, which severely strained existing infrastructure in the rapidly growing city.
New Local Government Minister Simeon Brown promised during the election campaign to return Tauranga’s council to elected representatives, and election results for the mayoralty and councillors will be announced on July 20.
Tolley said she’s optimistic about the outcome, as someone who has “always had huge respect for the voters”.
“And I think that’s the change I see in Tauranga.
“They know they can easily slip back if they don’t take any action.
“I hear it in the community — we don’t want to go back to those bad old days.”
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The Tauranga City Council Annual Residents Survey revealed an increase in public satisfaction with local government performance since the commissioners were appointed, albeit still at low levels.
Over the past three years, overall satisfaction rose from 32% to 40%, with increases in the scores for leadership, trust, quality of services, and financial management.
How flawed is local democracy? Hybrid model floated
Tolley recommended that she and the commissioners stay on beyond the transition back to democracy, as part of a “hybrid model” of governance. However, Brown rejected this suggestion, pushing for a return to a fully-elected council instead.
Tolley believes a hybrid model could be applied to local government nationwide, with a balance favouring elected councillors, but including appointed commissioners with particular governance expertise or skills otherwise lacking around the council table.
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“I believe that’s where we should be heading for all local government,” she said.
“Maybe two-thirds of the council is elected, but to have that professional governance — people who understand the difference between governance and operations, who can bring in expertise.
“We made suggestions that the council might look at what skills were missing around the table and make a recommendation,” said Tolley, floating the idea that councillors and the local government minister might collaborate on who would fill those appointed roles.
Local Government NZ president Sam Broughton did not want to see a new model imposed across the country.
“Local democracy is fundamental to local government. How each council is structured should be a decision made locally with that council and community.”
Most New Zealanders opted out of voting in local elections with only two-in-five electors casting a ballot during the last cycle. Turnout has been steadily declining since the 1990s, with significant variation between councils in different parts of the country.
In April, Brown told RNZ: “The people of Tauranga have been clear that they want to see a return to a fully elected and democratically accountable council.”
In response to the minister rejecting her proposal, Tolley said Brown “deeply believes in democracy. And he sees that as the way for local government to operate”.
“I guess maybe it’s just I have had a bit more experience than him — I don’t know. But we certainly don’t agree on that,” she added.
Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
