The former mayor recontested the Southland district mayoralty in October after losing to incumbent Rob Scott in 2022.
Mr Scott retained the mayoralty by a wide margin, securing 6734 votes to Mr Tong’s 1418.
But as recently as December, "Tick Tong" messaging could still be seen on a council rubbish drum in Riverton, where the former mayor lives.
Mr Tong said he found out 500 stickers were created and appeared around the region, including Ōtautau and Te Anau.
"I don’t know the full group of people that did it. I know one or two of them, but I’m not going to let you know who they are," Mr Tong said.
"I just said ‘look, you can’t bloody do that’."
He said he "appreciated the bloody support" and admitted he had even pulled one off a give way sign.
Mr Tong also recounted a comical interaction with rival Rob Scott over the stickers, which he thought was one of the ways he had found out.
After seeing Mr Scott in Lumsden, Mr Tong sent him a text.
The mayor messaged back a humorous reply saying he hoped Mr Tong had not put any on his car.
"It wasn’t until a day or two later I found out that this group of people had been going all over Southland sticking these stickers everywhere."
As for the rubbish drum stickers in Riverton, they have since been removed.
A spokesperson for Southland District Council said council-owned assets, including rubbish bins, were not approved places for election advertising.
The removal deadline for election signage was midnight on October 10, the spokesperson said.
Mr Tong’s election spending declaration made no mention of stickers. It totalled $513.50 and included advertising with Allied Media and the Winton Business Association.
The former mayor confirmed his political days were over and he was now working on a book.
— Matthew Rosenberg, Local democracy reporter
— LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
