Mora, 72, had planned to hand over the reins after 28 years on the board, serving more than 20 years as chairman and deputy chairman combined.
The plan was for deputy chairman Andrei Moore to take Mora’s position this year, with Mora serving as deputy chairman for the remainder of the three-year term.
The current term will be Mora’s last as he intends to retire by 2022 to spend more time with his family after nearly three decades as an elected member of the board.
He believed his decades of experience and extensive knowledge of the area were driving forces behind his re-election.
“We just need to concentrate on doing the job and getting the best outcomes for our community. I just want to get these things sorted before I retire at the end of this term.”
The community board members voted to re-elect Mora as its chairman for the remainder of the term after no other names were put forward.
Out of all the board members, councillor Catherine Chu was the only member who voted against the decision.
Mora decided to continue for another two years because there was still unfinished business to attend to in the wider community.
By staying in the position, it kept the momentum going on any “outstanding issues” that needed to be resolved before passing the torch on to someone new.
These included the Hornby Centre’s construction, the Halswell Junction Rd extension, supporting “landlocked” residents at Yaldhurst Village, tidying up the Sockburn Service Centre and park, and sorting out pedestrian and cycleway links between major centres in Hornby.
He also wanted to put a succession plan in place for the area’s future in the next 10 to 20 years, setting goals now to enable work towards them in the next term and beyond.
In addition to Mora’s re-election, former city councillor Helen Broughton has been elected as the board’s new deputy chairwoman, taking over from Moore.
In spite of previous tensions between the pair, such as Broughton’s concerns that Mora’s priorities did not focus on Riccarton, Mora believed this would not get in the way of future decisions.
“We work together even though we don’t always see eye-to-eye. We had a chat after the meeting and we want to put the past behind us and move forward in a positive direction for the community we represent.”
Mora said it was unlikely he would stand for another term after the current one ends.
“If people want me to stay for another term, I’m not considering that at this point in time – unless something happens later on,” he said.
“I just want to concentrate on more time for family and other interests. At the end of this term I would’ve spent 30 years in local government, that’s quite a big chunk of a person’s life.”
