Driving school owner Brad Mannering has joined the race for the Selwyn mayoralty.
Mannering is in a three-way battle for the role against incumbent Sam Broughton, who is vying for his fourth term, and Lydia Gliddon.
He is standing in what will be a new council line-up.
There will be at least eight new councillors after the October 11 local body elections.
While conceding he was an underdog against Broughton and Gliddon, he was not concerned he had no local government experience.
“I’m not super concerned that I’m under-experienced; that type of training will be provided, and realistically, the job itself is about representing the people of Selwyn,” he said.
There will be a large amount of choice for voters with 32 candidates standing for 11 seats.
It will be almost an entirely new council with only Broughton, Rolleston Ward councillor Sophie McInnes, and Ellesmere Ward councillor Elizabeth Mundt looking to retain their positions.
Mannering has lived in Rolleston since 2014 and owns a driving school and a laser clinic, and had a tourism business before Covid.
Whether an almost new council will bring out more voters remains to be seen -42.44% (20,497) of eligible residents voted in 2022.
Said Reid: “There are still things that I would like to be involved with for council, but there comes a time when its best for you to step down and leave space for others with new ideas to have a seat around the table.”
The new candidates are Avi Aulakh, Rhys Laraman, Errol Maffey, Ashwin (Robert) Mani, Joe Morris, Haydn Porritt, Moneel Pratap, Brendan Shefford, Selwyn’s only ACT endorsed candidate, Chris Till, Prabh Singh, and Paul Weggery.
Shefford, a well-known real estate agent, said he wants to use his experience at the frontline of Rolleston’s growing population to cut wasteful spending and red tape.
Rolleston Residents Association chair Mark Alexander said in his opinion, people should be careful what they ask for when wanting a fresh council.
“People think that with a new council, rates will come down; they don’t understand you can’t abandon a long-term plan. It is an interesting and scary time coming up,” he said.
In the Kā Puna Springs Ward, deputy mayor Malcolm Lyall and councillors Grant Miller and Debra Hasson are all retiring, making it an open race.
Rakovic, who was initially standing as an ACT Party-endorsed candidate, is now running as an independent.
Carrick is secretary of Lincoln Voice, a group set up to oppose the huge Lincoln South sub division, and McGlinchey is its former chair. He is not standing under the Lincoln Voice banner.
Lincoln Voice chair Tracey Macleod is standing for one of the two at large seats. Sharon Hunt, Barry Mackenzie, Calvin Payne, Samantah Samuel, and Samuel Wiltshire are also contesting the at-large seats.
Malvern will be an open race with Gliddon focusing on the mayoralty and Bob Mugford retiring.
Current Malvern Community Board members Sharn Nu’u and John Verry will go head-to-head with neither running for the board as well.
In Ellesmere it the race is between Mundt and former councillor Murray Lemon.
