2010 Dunedin Mayoral race

Dunedin student Niko Elsen might be fighting an uphill battle - trying to stimulate student interest in local government - but the third-year politics and design student has combined his talents to do just that.

For the first time in more than a decade, there is an increase in interest in voting for local authorities.

Dunedin city councillor Dave Cull appears to have surged ahead in the mayoral race as the 2010 local government election nears its end.

Dunedin voters have until noon on Saturday to decide who they want on their city council. We asked three Otago Daily Times readers what small projects the council should concentrate on as it avoids big projects to cut debt from its peak of $337 million next year.

Smiles rather than spreadsheets were the focus of the latest Dunedin mayoral forum, when candidates were asked yesterday how they might contribute to the happiness of citizens.

A claim by a mayoral and council candidate 400 Dunedin City Council staff should be cut to bring the size of the council closer to that of Tauranga appears to be based on incorrect figures.

Fewer Otago residents have indicated they plan to vote in this year's local body elections than any other region, a poll shows.

I recieved my Local Elections 2010 voting papers earlier last week, ironically on the day in history when the first female member of Parliament, Elizabeth McCombs, was sworn in.

Dunedin city councillor Dave Cull appears to be leading a two-horse race with Mayor Peter Chin in the battle for the city's top job.

It verged on stand-up comedy and contained a strong element of amateur theatre, but Dunedin's mayoral aspirants each did their best to woo voters at the Otago Daily Times/Otago Chamber of Commerce Dunedin mayoral candidates forum.