For the first time in 18 years, Waimate District has three candidates for the mayoralty.
Deputy mayor Sharyn Cain and Waimate ward councillor Rick Stevens will be going head-to-head with incumbent mayor Craig Rowley, who is seeking re-election for a fifth term.
Battling it out for the single Hakataramea-Waihaorunga ward position are Paul Harrison and Margaret Wells, with incumbent Colin Pankhurst not standing.
Challenging for the Pareora-Otaio-Makikihi ward (two vacancies) are Sandy McAlwee and Tom O’Connor and challengers Jon Bird and Stacey Hall, and running for the Waimate ward (four vacancies) are John Begg and Rick Stevens, and newcomers Shane Gregoran, Jakki Guilford, Peter Paterson, Brent Percy. Incumbent Ms Cain is tilting only at the mayoralty.
Council chief executive Stuart Duncan said it was "encouraging to see passionate individuals coming forward to lead the district in testing times with local government undergoing significant changes and more on their way".
The Lions Club of Waimate hosted a meet the candidates evening on Tuesday at the Regent Theatre.
Ms Cain, who has served on the council for 15 years, 12 as deputy mayor, said she had a "head full of ideas, a sense of pride and purpose, and a deep commitment" to the district.
"If elected mayor, my aim will be to keep rates as low as possible for residents while ensuring high-quality services. This means maximising council assets, reviewing user fees for fairness, pursuing government funding and strengthening partnerships with community and private groups."
She said she would also advocate for "tangible initiatives", such as a possible perpetual investment fund and developing a Waimate Communities Future Fund, to support lower rates and buffer against future costs.
Mr Stevens, who has 20 years’ experience managing "complex operations", including the Waimate Hotel, and who also ran for mayoralty in 2022, believes Waimate needs "strong, balanced leadership that combines financial discipline with a clear plan for growth".
Over the past three years as a councillor, he had encountered both the opportunities and the challenges the district faces, including ageing infrastructure, cost of delivery of projects and a shortage of skilled workers which limits business growth and strains essential services.
"I care deeply about this district and the people who call it home," he said.
"My focus is on making decisions that prioritise essentials, manage ratepayer money responsibly and strengthen the foundations of our community by diversifying our local economy so it’s less vulnerable to fluctuations in dairy and can thrive in the long term."
Mr Rowley said he still had a "passion for the job" after 12 years as mayor and 15 in local government, and it was all about a good sense of balance.
He wanted to continue the work on the water services plan which was to be submitted to government shortly.
"The staff are working hard with the Department of Internal Affairs to get that all together. At this stage we’re going to be able to meet the legislation without any issues. Our debt-to-revenue ratio is well within the limits; we have to be below 175% to be able to set that up as a stand alone, and we’re well below that."
Mr Rowley said over the last eight years the council had worked hard to upgrade infrastructure, including implementing a metering process in urban areas to improve system management and track water losses, and he hoped to continue that work.
He said while there had been "a lot of talk" from the Local Government Minister around capping local council rates, he wanted to ensure the community had a good understanding about the knock-on effects, which included a decline in spend on infrastructure maintenance.
Voting opens on September 9 and closes on October 11.
