A raft of fresh faces could sit around the Waipā District Council table later this year following confirmation two long-standing elected members are getting out and others might follow.
Andrew Brown
Andrew Brown and Bruce Thomas have both said they are standing down while veterans Lou Brown and Roger Gordon are “seriously considering” their options.
The first councillor to respond to The News’ request to sitting Waipā and Waikato district and Waikato regional councillors was Kihikihi’s Marcus Gower.
“I’m in,” was his response to whether he would stand for a sixth term in Waipa.
Deputy mayor Liz Stolwyk cryptically responded. “Yes, I’m standing for public office.”
Yet to respond are Philip Coles, Mike Montgomerie, Dale-Maree Morgan and Mike Pettit. Susan O’Regan announced last week she was standing for a second term as mayor.
Bruce Thomas
Andrew Brown chairs the powerful Finance and Corporate committee and has been a reasoned head around water issues. Early in the term he was the ‘lone’ voice in favour of Three Waters reform saying he felt it would be more efficient and save money.
Lou Brown, the oldest councillor at 79, said he enjoyed the Civil Defence portfolio, and it was this which had him in two minds. Bruce Thomas said he had done 24 years and “enough was enough”.
Roger Gordon, 77, said it was still his wish to go on, but his children lived overseas, and he wanted to visit them regularly.
“I always said I would go on if I had the mental capacity to do so.”
Stolwyk lives in Ōhaupō – part of the Pirongia and Kakepuku ward – but has represented the Cambridge ward for four terms. Such is her popularity, she regularly tops the polling, she could stand anywhere and potentially for the regional council given her dairying, tourism and transport background.
Elise Badger
On the community boards, Cambridge deputy chair Elise Badger is out while chair Jo Davies-Colley said she would stand again but did not elaborate on whether that meant for the board or as sources suggest, the council itself.
Te Awamutu-Kihikihi chair Ange Holt says she has not decided yet.”
In Waikato, Mike Keir has found the bureaucracy so hard to overcome he is out the door in the Tamahere-Woodlands ward but Crystal Beavis will stand again. Mayor Jacqui Church has also confirmed she wants a second term.
Mike Keir
Clyde Graf, one of two Waipā-King Council regional councillors, said he was not planning on standing again. “But there’s lots of water to pass under the bridge between now and then.”
Stu Kneebone had not responded when this edition went to press.
Nominations for the local body elections open on July 1 and close a month later. Voting papers are delivered between September 9-22 and voting closes on October 11.
Local Body elections
