A new councillor will arrive at the Dunedin City Council table in mid-May, partway through the annual plan process.
When the Otago Daily Times asked the 14 candidates how they would make good decisions on the plan as a late arrival, most said they kept abreast of council developments by watching council meetings and reading staff reports.
Any gaps in knowledge would be addressed through conversations with staff and other councillors.
Several former councillors are contesting the by-election and said they also planned to draw on past governance experience.
Last month, councillors voted to send the draft 2026-27 annual plan, which proposes a 10.5% rates increase, for public consultation.
Aaron Hawkins said anyone making decisions on the annual plan needed to be prepared.
‘‘That means reading the submissions that have been made, reading the staff reports and turning up ready to listen to the debate in the room.’’
Conrad Stedman said a ‘‘fresh set of eyes at that stage could be useful’’, especially when it came to testing assumptions and ensuring decisions reflected current realities.
Garreth Ottley said his lack of previous council experience would provide a fresh perspective — ‘‘an ordinary citizen focused on the basics’’.
