Palmerston North City Council nominations are now open
Published on 15 July 2022
Local government elections are just around the corner and candidates who wish to lead Palmy through the next three years can now officially put their hat in the ring. Nominations to stand as a councillor or mayor for Palmerston North City Council have just opened, closing at 12pm on Friday 12 August.
Council’s Democracy and Governance Manager, Hannah White, encourages you to consider the opportunity.
“If you think your voice and interests aren’t yet echoed in decisions for the city, here’s your chance to step up and bring them to Council yourself. We’re after 15 councillors and a mayor to lead the city through the next three-year term.”
Two councillors will represent Te Pūao Māori ward, 13 councillors will represent Te Hirawanui General ward and the mayor will be elected at large.
While Te Pūao Māori ward is an exciting way of ensuring Māori representation at Council, there is still potential for more diverse representation around the table.
Mrs White says Palmy is home to a vast number of communities. The city is made up of more than 150 different ethnic groups and more than 120 different languages are spoken.
“We want to see the differing lens and views formed from diverse life experiences, backgrounds and beliefs contribute to great decisions for our city.”
Although candidates do not need to have any specific qualifications, there are a few requirements. Candidates need to be a New Zealand citizen, at least 18 years old and be on the electoral roll. Candidates also need to be nominated by two people who are on the Palmerston North electoral roll and they’ll need to pay a $200 deposit.
Elected members represent the communities’ interests and are responsible for shaping Palmerston North's future. They take part in strategic and long-term planning for the whole city and set budgets and rates. Reviewing and developing policies and bylaws, and monitoring the performance of the council as an organisation are also in their scope of work.
“It’s a challenging yet rewarding role. Councillors typically set aside around 20 hours a week, while the mayor’s role is full-time,” says Mrs White.
The Remuneration Authority has confirmed that following the October election, Palmerston North city councillors with no additional responsibilities will earn $47,849 annually. Additional remuneration may be allocated if councillors are required to undertake greater responsibilities on a permanent basis. The mayor will earn $160,314.
As we enter the election period, Council will be exercising some precautions around publicising the current elected members. This is to ensure that all candidates have the same advantage, so you won’t see new imagery or videos of them on our website or social media pages.
Nomination papers can be picked up from the Customer Service Centre, Palmerston North City Council, 32 The Square, or downloaded from our website. Alternatively, phone the electoral office on 0800 922 822 and papers will be sent out to you.