Cr Vandervis, a four-term councillor, confirmed yesterday afternoon he would again seek the Dunedin mayoralty as well as to retain his city council seat.
His announcement came after Cr Vandervis - the highest polling council candidate at the last election - challenged unsuccessfully for the mayoralty in 2010, 2013 and 2016.
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull announced earlier this year he would stand down rather than seek a fourth term as mayor, opening the door to a flurry of challenges including from incumbent councillors Jim O'Malley, Christine Garey, Aaron Hawkins and Andrew Whiley.
Cr Vandervis joined them yesterday, saying he represented a change from the ''indifferent leadership and a lack of vision'' in recent years.
He also planned a ''back-to-basics review'' of council spending and its use of staff time, as well as providing parking improvements, climate change resilience for low-lying areas and a more hands-on approach to council companies.
Earlier yesterday, Cr Elder, a first-term councillor who stood unsuccessfully for the mayoralty in 2016, announced her plans, saying she would again seek a council seat and the mayoralty in October's local body elections.
She wanted to focus on economic growth and jobs, including in Dunedin's exciting start-up space, as well as championing South Dunedin and the city's walking tracks, outdoor lifestyle and access to nature.
She also wanted to see more progress on a raft of issues facing the city, from housing, traffic and parking problems to the future of waste, growth and climate change.
Nominations close at noon tomorrow.
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Comments
Go Lee!
Time for some common sense at the DCC.
Get ready for Vandervis Derangement Syndrome when he upsets Culls cronyist left wing succession plan...
If he's Mayor, who's going to kick him out of meetings or make him apologise?
Maybe his time has come. If some Councillors are standing on a political party platform we can no longer have confidence they will put the city before party ideology.
There is enough of a problem with bullying in NZ without it being entrenched as part of a leadership style. I'm sure he means well but he lacks the emotional skills, patience and tact for the job of Mayor. The fact that he's put his name forward despite being on the record as a bully suggests he has some kind of serious personality disorder that prevents him from seeing his actions through the eyes of others.