Waipa-King Country representatives Garry Reymer, left, and Liz Stolwyk, right, with new chair Warren Maher. Photo: Supplied
Second-term Thames-Coromandel councillor Warren Maher is the new Waikato Regional Council chair.
The Tairua electrical contractor was the only nomination and was unanimously elected in Hamilton today at the council’s inaugural meeting.
The position pays $169,294 a year.
Two nominations were received for the deputy position who will earn $86,693 – Taupō’s Mich’éal Downard and Ngā Tai ki Uta Māori Constituency member Kataraina Hodge.
Downard received nine votes, Hodge got three and there was one abstention.
Former chair Pamela Storey and deputy Bruce Clarkson were both defeated in the local body elections earlier this month.
The council is made up of 14 elected members- two in Māori seats and 12 in general seats – and has a chair and deputy chair who are appointed by the council when they take office.
Maher was part of the Rates Control team elected onto council. The others were Chris Hughes, Ben Dunbar-Smith, Mich’éal Downard, Robert Cookson, Gary McGuire and Garry Reymer.
Other councillors elected were Kataraina Hodge, Keith Holmes, Tipa Mahuta, Jennifer Nickel, Noel Smith, Liz Stolwyk and Angela Strange.
Maher said there was a real desire to move the council forward.
“We have amazing staff and people on the ground.
“We want to carry that forward,” he said.
Cookson, who nominated Maher, said he had sat next to him for the three previous years and found he was the right person for the job.
Maher has run Coastal Electrical for 30 years and been president of the Tairua Pauanui Sports Fishing Club for the last nine years. He is currently vice president of the NZ Sports Fishing Council.
He sought relection to continue work on rates control, environmental management, public transport and flood protection and drainage.
Liz Stolwyk signs her declaration watched by Waikato Regional Council chief executive Chris McLay. Photo: Andrew Reymer.
Waipa-King Country representatives Garry Reymer, left, and Liz Stolwyk, right, with new chair Warren Maher. Photo: Supplied
