Mayor of Auckland
| Mayor of Auckland | |
|---|---|
| File:Auckland COA.png | |
since 8 October 2022 | |
| Auckland Council | |
| Style | His Worship |
| Member of | Auckland Council |
| Seat | Auckland Town Hall |
| Appointer | Electorate of Auckland |
| Term length | Three years, renewable |
| Inaugural holder | Len Brown |
| Formation | 1 November 2010 |
| Salary | $269,500 p.a.[1] |
| Website | Official website |
The Mayor of Auckland is the directly elected head of the Auckland Council, the local government authority for the Auckland Region in New Zealand, which it controls as a unitary authority. The position exists since October 2010 after the amalgamation of various territorial authorities. The mayor is supported by a deputy mayor.
Background
The position was first filled by election on 9 October 2010 for the establishment of the Auckland Council on 1 November 2010. The Council replaced seven territorial authority councils, including the Auckland City Council, and also the Auckland Regional Council. Before 2010, "Mayor of Auckland" was an informal term applied to the Mayor of Auckland City, head of the Auckland City Council.
Until October 2013, when new mayoral powers set out in the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Act 2012 came into effect, the Mayor of Auckland had more powers compared to other mayors in New Zealand.[2]
Role of mayor
The mayor has the powers to establish their own office, create and dissolve governing body committees and appoint the chairpersons of the council's committees. The mayor chairs the governing body and may exercise a casting vote if a tie arises during a vote.[3]
History of mayoral contests
In the first mayoral election for Auckland Council in 2010, outgoing Mayor of Manukau City Len Brown was elected, defeating outgoing Mayor of Auckland City John Banks, outgoing Mayor of North Shore City Andrew Williams and prominent Christian businessman Colin Craig, amongst others. The mayoral office had a budget of $4.1 million and a staff of 18 in 2011.[4] Brown preferred not to use the honorific "His Worship".[5]
Contenders in the 2013 Auckland mayoral election included Brown, John Minto[6] and John Palino. Brown was re-elected.
Brown announced in November 2015 that he would not contest the 2016 mayoralty election.[7] There were 19 contenders for the position, and Phil Goff won against Victoria Crone, John Palino, and Chlöe Swarbrick.[8][9]
In the 2019 mayoral election, Goff won re-election against 21 contenders with 49% of the vote. Other contenders who received a high share of the vote include John Tamihere (22%), Craig Lord (8%), John Hong (4%) and Ted Johnston (4%).[10]
List of mayors
| # | Name | Portrait | Elections | Entered office | Left office | Deputy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Len Brown |  |
1 November 2010 | 14 October 2016 | Penny Hulse | |
| 2 | Phil Goff | .jpg) |
1 November 2016 | 8 October 2022 | Bill Cashmore | |
| 3 | Wayne Brown | Presumptive Mayor-elect |
Role of deputy mayor
The deputy mayor is the second highest elected official in the Auckland Council. The deputy mayor acts in support of the Mayor of Auckland. It is the second highest elected position in the council. However, like the position of Deputy Prime Minister, this seniority does not necessarily translate into power. They are appointed by the mayor from the elected ward councillors.[11] The current deputy mayor is Bill Cashmore, who currently represents the Franklin ward on the Auckland Council. Cashmore was announced as deputy mayor in October 2016, and assumed office upon the swearing in of the new council.[12]
Beyond committees of the whole council, the deputy mayor is an ex-officio member of the following Auckland Council committees:[13]
- Appointments and Performance Review Committee
- Civil Defence & Emergency Management Committee
- Community Development and Safety Committee
- Regulatory Committee
- Auckland Domain Committee
Like any other councillor, the deputy mayor may be appointed to additional committees which the mayor wishes to appoint them to.
List of deputy mayors
| Mayor | Deputy mayor | Ward represented | Affiliation | Assumed office | Left office | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Len Brown | 1 | Penny Hulse | Waitākere Ward | Independent | 1 November 2010 | 31 October 2016 |
| West at Heart | |||||||
| 2 | Phil Goff | 2 | Bill Cashmore | Franklin Ward | Team Franklin | 1 November 2016 | 8 October 2022 |
| 3 | Wayne Brown | 3 | Desley Simpson | Ōrākei ward | Communities & Residents | 27 October 2022 | |
References
- ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 20 January 2017.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Better Local Government Fact Sheet".
- ^ "Auckland Council: Standing Orders of the Governing Body" (PDF). 28 May 2015.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Orsman, Bernard (9 February 2011). "Council's Maori board to cost $3.4m". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 9 February 2011.
- ^ "Meet your mayor". Auckland Council. Retrieved 8 October 2016.
- ^ Whiteacre, Charlotte (16 April 2013). "John Minto for Auckland mayor?". 3 News. Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "Auckland mayor Len Brown will not stand again". Auckland Now. Fairfax New Zealand. 8 November 2015. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "Compare the policies of Auckland's mayoral candidates". Radio New Zealand. 15 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "Goff 27% ahead of nearest Mayoral rival". Horizon Research. 14 September 2016. Retrieved 21 September 2016.
- ^ "2019 local electionsfinal results – Mayor, ward councillors, local board members" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Role of the mayor". www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ "Mayor elect announces Deputy and new Council committees". OurAuckland. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
- ^ "Committee members and contacts". www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz. Retrieved 3 January 2017.