Dunedin dominance would be the result of a population-based voting model for mayors taking over regional council governance, as suggested by the government.
This would leave the Queenstown Lakes, Central Otago, Clutha and Waitaki district councils with zero voting power within a proposed combined territories board.
However, an alternative option of "one mayor, one vote", could lead to Dunedin and Queenstown Lakes getting outvoted by three rural district councils.
Under that model, centres with a combined population of more than 176,000 people might lose out to districts with a combined population of about 66,000.
The Dunedin City Council held a workshop this week to discuss the government’s proposal for "simplifying local government", which includes scrapping regional councillors.
Their functions would be taken over initially by mayors coming together to form combined territories boards, which would thrash out how regional governance should be reorganised longer term.
City councillor Christine Garey said it felt like "someone had a good idea and didn’t have a clue about the practicalities".
Cr Andrew Simms said the prospect of Dunedin dominating decision-making appealed to his "imperialistic nature", but was "completely unworkable from Otago’s point of view".
"In the 2023 census, the population of all of the districts outside of Dunedin was 115,021 people, and the population of Dunedin is 131,800, so the other four mayors would effectively have no vote whatsoever."
That prompted a comment from Dunedin Mayor Sophie Barker: "So they wouldn’t come to meetings, would they?"
"Mayor Sophie would be the imperial leader of all of Otago," Cr Simms said.
Cr Mickey Treadwell said the population-based model would deliver an absurd result for Otago.
Cr John Chambers said the proposed interim phase for the boards was unworkable.
"There’s just not enough individuals to make a proper decision for what’s going to come up."
The Central Otago District Council decided last week it preferred the system of one mayor, one vote.
Mayor Tamah Alley said this would allow for smaller councils to have fairer representation.
Mrs Alley said the mayors in Otago were collegial and would operate well together.
Presented with the two voting systems, district councillor Stu Duncan asked for a third option.
He also said Central Otago had a small ratepayer base, but was an "economic powerhouse".
"You wouldn’t have a port of Otago if it wasn’t for the infrastructure and the produce leaving the farms and the orchards of central Otago."
City councillor Lee Vandervis has argued the Otago Regional Council should give Port Otago back to Dunedin.
Cr Vandervis said Cr Duncan "should recognise that shaking down overseas tourists and scenery are the main economic products of Central Otago, rather than pretending that some orchards make Dunedin’s port viable".
"It is Dunedin’s century of investment in reclamation and development of our port infrastructure that makes Central Otago orchards and many other much larger export volumes viable."
