Roles of elected members

Your Council is made up of the Mayor and 15 Councillors who represent the community.

The Mayor

The Mayor provides leadership to both Councillors and the people of Palmerston North.

They lead the development of the Council’s plans, policies, and budgets, which are then considered by the full Council.

Under s41A of the Local Government Act, the Mayor has the power to:

Appoint the Deputy Mayor
Set up Council committees
Choose who chairs each committee

The Mayor is also responsible for:

Running Council meetings and keeping them on track
Speaking up for and promoting the community
Acting as the ceremonial head of the city
Supporting and guiding Councillors in their roles
Declaring a civil defence emergency if needed

The Mayor’s recommendations for these roles and the committee structure are formally adopted by Council at the beginning of the council term.

Deputy Mayor

The Deputy Mayor is chosen by the Mayor.

They do the same work as other Councillors, plus:

Lead the Chief Executive’s performance review
Step in for the Mayor when they’re unavailable (at meetings or events)
Assume the Mayor’s powers if the Mayor can’t perform their role
Speak to the media when asked by the Mayor
Take on roles with council organisations if required

Committee Chairs

Committee Chairs are usually appointed by the Mayor.

They are responsible for:

Leading committee meetings
Making sure the committee follows its responsibilities
Representing the Council at events related to their committee
Speaking to the media about their committee’s work

Deputy Committee Chairs

Deputy Chairs are appointed by the Council.

They:

Step in when the Chair is unavailable
Support the Chair during meetings
Attend and represent the Council at community events when needed

The Deputy Mayor, a committee chair or deputy chair may be removed from office by a resolution of the Council.

All Councillors and the Mayor

All elected members share these responsibilities:

Setting the direction and priorities for the city
Monitoring how the Council is performing
Managing Council resources responsibly
Representing the interests of the whole community
Employing the Chief Executive (who then employs all other staff)

All Councillors must act in the best interests of Palmerston North and carry out their duties fairly and with good judgement.

Elected members have specific obligations as to their conduct in the following legislation:

Schedule 7 of the Local Government Act 2002, which includes obligations to act as a good employer in respect of the Chief Executive, and to abide by the current Code of Conduct and Standing Orders.
The Local Authorities (Members’ Interests) Act 1968 regulates the conduct of elected members in situations where there is, or could be, a conflict of interest between their duties as an elected member and their financial interests (either direct or indirect).
The Secret Commissions Act 1910, which prohibits elected members from accepting gifts or rewards that could be seen to sway them to perform their duties in a particular way.
The Crimes Act 1961 regarding the acceptance of gifts for acting in a certain way and the use of official information for private profit.

All elected members are required to adhere to the Code of Conduct. The code sets out the Council’s understanding and expectations of how the Mayor and Councillors will relate to one another, to staff, to the media and to the general public in the course of their duties. It also covers disclosure of information that is received by or is in possession of elected members, and contains details of the sanctions that the Council may impose if an individual breaches the code.