WE BUILD. A candidate’s guide to local authority elections. We are. LGNZ. vote2016.co.nz Candidate’s guide 2016 1 < Local democracy drives strong and diverse communities. It builds local and national success, confidence and character. > Lawrence Yule President, LGNZ 2 Foreword p2 1> Standing for local government p3 2> How councils work p10 3> Nomination requirements p13 4> Common questions p16 5> Key dates and next steps p19 Candidate’s guide 2016 1 Foreword As a member of a local authority you have the opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of your fellow citizens. This is an exciting time to be part of local government. I am thrilled that you are considering this challenge. If you are reading this candidate’s guide you must be thinking about New Zealand needs local leaders who are prepared to guide the standing in the coming local authority elections or nominating transformation of their communities so that they are best placed to someone else to stand. It is an important decision to make. Local meet emerging challenges of the 21st century and build strong local government is a fundamental part of a democratic system and economies and vibrant, resilient communities. the performance of your council, whether a city, district or region, matters. As a mayor, councillor or board member your decisions will This is an exciting time to be part of local government. New have a major impact on the quality of life that you and your fellow initiatives are underway to strengthen the sector and change public citizens get to experience. understanding about what councils do and why it is important. As a new elected member you will have the opportunity to contribute this Democracy only works if citizens who care for and understand the work. needs and aspirations of the communities are prepared to stand up and be counted. As a member of a local authority you have the I am thrilled that you are considering this challenge. opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of your fellow citizens. If you would like more information please check out our website at www.vote2016.co.nz or speak to the electoral officer of the council in It is important not only to our communities but also to New Zealand the area in which you wish to stand. as a whole that local government fulfil its potential and build strong and resilient communities. To achieve this we are looking for elected members with the vision and commitment to make their towns, cities or regions a better place in which to live. As an elected member you will be supported. Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ), the association of local authorities, is Lawrence Yule committed to providing all elected members with advice, support President and professional development opportunities to enable you to make a Local Government New Zealand difference for your community. LGNZ’s vision is for “local democracy powering community and national success” and we are continually working to improve governance, leadership and performance across the local government sector. 2 1 Candidate’s guide 2016 3 Standing for local government What roles can I stand for? There are a number of roles within local government that you can Local government is our most fundamental level of democracy. It stand for: enables residents, through their elected representatives, to make decisions about the way their district, city or region works. Councils • mayor; have a unique role as they are the only form of government with • councillor (in either a territorial authority or regional council); responsibility for a specific area. This role is often called ‘place- shaping’ and involves both governance and accountability for local • local board member; or public services and infrastructure. LGNZ’s vision for local government • community board member. is “local government powering community and national success”. In addition you can also stand for your District Health Board and your There are three types of local authority: local licensing trust if your district or city has one. • territorial authorities (these are cities and districts); • regional councils; and Mayor • unitary councils (cities and districts with regional council Mayors are directly elected by voters in our territorial authorities. The functions). role of mayor is described in the Local Government Act 2002 (LGA 2002) as being able to provide leadership to the other members of Altogether New Zealand has 78 local governments. Of these 67 are the territorial authority and the people in the district of the territorial territorial authorities, including six unitary councils, and 11 are regional authority. The mayor is also expected to lead the development of councils. Of the territorial authorities 12 are city councils and 55 are the territorial authority’s plans (including the long-term plan and district councils. The six unitary are Auckland Council, Nelson City the annual plan), policies, and budgets for consideration by the Council, Tasman District Council, Marlborough District Council, members of the territorial authority. Gisborne District Council and the Chatham Islands Council. A mayor’s job is varied, involving long hours and a wide range of Many territorial authorities have community boards or local boards. duties, such as chairing meetings, taking a public stand on local Community boards exist to make sure that a community’s interests issues and being available to constituents. The size of the job differs are being adequately represented and to bring decision-making depending on the size of the district or city with mayors of larger closer to citizens themselves (depending on the functions and communities working full-time. responsibilities delegated to them by the council). Local boards are similar to community boards but possess a greater range of functions The role of mayor does vary between councils. The mayor of and decision-making powers than most community boards. Auckland council has a range of executive powers that are not Currently only Auckland Council has local boards. available to other mayors, such as the right to have an independent mayoral office and to appoint their deputy and committee chairs. Some of these roles have been extended to other mayors, such as the ability to appoint a deputy and chairs, but these appointments can be reversed by their councils. One of the most challenging aspects of being mayor is ensuring the orderly conduct of business during council meetings. By keeping order and providing sound leadership elected members help ensure the council decision-making process works at its best. The mayor is normally the spokesperson for the council as well. In addition to these roles, the mayor also fulfils the responsibilities of a Justice of the Peace (while holding office). 4 Councillor Community board member The role of councillor can, at times, be very demanding. You will have Many councils have community boards, which are elected in tandem to balance a number of competing interests and wear a number with the election of the mayor and councillors. The role of community of hats, as councillors can be required to act simultaneously board member will vary depending on the level of responsibility as community leaders, representatives and community board delegated to them by their parent council. At the least community members. The role and responsibilities of a councillor fall into two boards make recommendations to councils on policies, bylaws, and main categories: strategies reflecting the views of the communities they represent. • being a member of the governing body of the council; and The primary role of a community board member is to represent • being an elected representative of the community. and advocate for the interests of their communities, liaise with community organisations and government departments, and For the three year term councillors need to juggle work, the maintain an overview of the local services provided by the council. community’s demands, their own priorities, the policies of their Community boards can also make written and oral submissions to political team (if they have one) and the challenges facing their their council on local issues. council. Being a councillor is a very public role. Whenever councillors appear in public, even though it may not be in an official capacity, they are usually regarded as a councillor and judged accordingly. It is not a nine to five job. The role of a councillor in a territorial authority is different to a councillor’s role in a regional council. This is due to the different range of service delivered and proximity to communities. A councillor in a city or district tends to be more involved in community matters and will spend, on average, more hours a week in the job. Local board member Established under the governance arrangements for Auckland, local boards have a significant and wide-ranging role. They make decisions on a range of local government matters at the local level, provide local leadership and build strong local communities. Local boards provide important local input into region-wide strategies and plans. Every three years local boards prepare a three-year plan that informs the Auckland Council’s Long Term Plan. Every year boards negotiate an agreement with the governing body detailing the delivery and funding of services in its local area. Candidate’s guide 2016 5 The capabilities of effective elected members Being an effective elected member can be a challenging experience, it requires balancing competing demands for your times and exercising you judgement about what is important. It also requires being able to work well with other people 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 Knowledge and understanding of local government • Makes good decisions based on staff advice, community • Understands the role of the council and its financial views, wisdom, experience and informed judgement.