CANDIDATE INFORMATION EVENING 19 July 2016 Our speakers Tony - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

CANDIDATE INFORMATION EVENING

19 July 2016

• Tony Whittaker

– Acting Chief Executive – General Manager Strategy & Support

• Dale Ofsoske

– Electoral Officer

• Sue Duignan

– General Manager Customer Support

• Peter Harris & Ian McLennan

– Former Mayor and Councillor

Our speakers

• Emergency exits
• Mobile phones (off please)
• Toilets
• Handouts
• Questions
• Coffee/tea to follow

Housekeeping

Programme

• Council overview
• Electoral process
• What happens if elected
• Perspectives from a former Mayor and a

former Councillor

Council Overview

• Tony Whittaker

• We are a growing district
• We are home to 69,900 people
• Waikato district spans 452,000 hectares (90%
• f the size of Auckland)
• $150 million of revenue
• $1.6 billion of assets

Who are we?

Who are we?

Governance Structure

• 1. Support targeted growth
• 2. Maintain existing assets
• 3. Modernise infrastructure where it is prudent to do so
• 4. Do more within existing budgets
• 5. Affordability

Our approach

• Libraries
• Drinking water
• Water reservoirs
• Water treatment plants
• Cemeteries
• Dog exercise areas
• Animal shelters
• Skate parks

We provide, operate or maintain

• Sports parks
• Public toilets
• Refuse & recycling collections
• Roads – sealed and unsealed
• Footpaths
• Neighbourhood reserves
• Swimming pools
• Community halls

Electoral Process

• Dale Ofsoske

• Waikato District Council has 45,280 voters
• Postal vote
• Election day Saturday 8 October
• Two electoral systems used – FPP and STV
• Candidate names in alphabetical order

General information

Key election dates

Date Activity Friday 15 July Nominations open Friday 12 August Nominations close Friday 16 September to Wednesday 21 September Delivery of voting documents Saturday 8 October Election day, preliminary results after noon Thursday 13 October Declaration of results Saturday 16 October Public notice of declaration Sunday 17 October Elected members come into office

Elections required

• The following positions:
• Mayor (elected ‘at large’)
• Councillor (8)
• Coromandel-Colville Ward (1)
• Mercury Bay Ward (2)
• South Eastern Ward (2)
• Thames Ward (3)
• Mayor (elected ‘at large’)
• Councillors (13) from 10 wards
• Awaroa ki Tuakau Ward (2)
• Eureka Ward (1)
• Hukanui-Waerenga Ward (1)
• Huntly Ward (2)
• Newcastle Ward (1)
• Ngaruawahia Ward (2)
• Onewhero-Te Akau Ward (1)
• Raglan Ward (1)
• Tamahere Ward (1)
• Whangamarino Ward (1)
• Community Board Members (30)

from 5 community boards

• Huntly Community (6)
• Ngaruawahia Community (6)
• Onewhero-Tuakau Community (6)
• Raglan Community (6)
• Taupiri Community (6)

Elections required

In addition –

• either Waikato District Health Board members (7 members elected ‘at

large’)

• r Counties Manukau District Health Board members (7 members elected

‘at large’)

• Waikato Regional Council members
• either 2 members from the Waikato General Constituency
• r 1 member from the Ngaa Hau e Wha Maaori Constituency
• Te Kauwhata Licensing Trust (6) from Te Kauwhata area

Electoral systems

Two electoral systems used:

• First Past the Post (FPP)

– Vote by ticking candidates names – Candidates with highest number votes wins – Used for Waikato District Council, Waikato Regional Council and Te Kauwhata Licensing Trust

• Single Transferable Voting (STV)
• Form of preferential voting
• Vote by ranking candidate names in order of preference
• Used for Waikato District Health Board and Counties Manukau District

Health Board

Electoral rolls

• Two electoral rolls available:
• Resident electoral roll
• New Zealand citizen or permanent resident
• Aged 18 or over
• Resided continuously in New Zealand for one year or

more

• Resided at an address for one month or more
• Total 45,280 resident electors (7 July 2016)

Electoral rolls

• Ratepayer electoral roll
• For non-resident electors
• Updated every three years
• By application, not automatic
• 41 ratepayer electors (7 July 2016)

Candidate qualifications

• Candidates for district & regional councils:
• New Zealand citizen
• Over the age of 18
• Enrolled on the parliamentary electoral roll (anywhere)
• Can stand for one ward or constituency only
• Cannot stand for both constituent district council or regional

council

Candidate qualifications

• Elected members (or spouses) cannot have a contract with

Waikato District Council over $25,000 unless approval is

• btained from the Office of the Auditor-General
• Any employee of Waikato District Council who is elected to

Council must resign as employee before taking up position

– not applicable for an elected community board member

Nomination process

• Nominations now open with papers available from:
• Ngaruawahia Head Office
• Huntly Office and Library
• Raglan Office and Library
• Te Kauwhata Library
• Tuakau Office and Library
• www.votewaikato.co.nz
• Phoning 0800 922 822
• Get one here tonight

Nomination process

• Cannot nominate yourself
• Need to be nominated by two nominators from area

standing

• $200 (including GST) nomination deposit (most are

refunded)

• 150 word candidate profile statement
• Recent passport-size colour photo

Nomination process

• Candidates are able to have affiliation or independent or

leave blank

• Unacceptable affiliations (see page 16)
• Nomination close noon, Friday 12 August (sharp)
• Return nominations to Council offices/libraries
• Please also include:
• Statement on principal place of residence
• Statement on all positions standing for

Campaigning

• Campaigning can occur anytime, including election day
• Council’s policy on election hoardings
• Can go up 8 August
• Must be removed by midnight 7 October
• All election advertising must be authorised
• Candidates or their agents must not collect voting

documents from electors

• Be mindful of election offences (page 44)

Candidate expenditure

• All positions

have candidate election expenditure limits based

• n

population of area

Local government area population Expenditure limit Up to 4999 $3500 5000-9999 $7000 10,000-19,999 $14,000 20,000-39,999 $20,000 40,000-59,000 $30,000 60,000-79,999 $40,000 80,000-99,999 $50,000 100,000-149,000 $55,000 150,000-249,999 $60,000 250,000-999,999 $70,000 1,000,000 or more $100,000 *plus 50c per elector Expenditure limits are inclusive of GST

Candidate expenditure

Ward Population $ Limit Awaroa ki Tuakau 11,600 $14,000 Eureka 5,430 $7,000 Hukanui-Waerenga 5,520 $7,000 Huntly 9,790 $7,000 Newcastle 5,450 $7,000 Ngaruawahia 9,770 $7,000 Onewhero-Te Akau 5,190 $7,000 Raglan 5,510 $7,000 Tamahere 5,390 $7,000 Whangamarino 5,850 $7,000

Candidate expenditure

Community Board Population $ Limit Huntly 7,730 $7,000 Ngaruawahia 7,560 $7,000 Onewhero-Tuakau 9,820 $7,000 Raglan 4,160 $3,500 Taupiri 480 $3,500

Candidate expenditure

• Expenditure to be GST inclusive
• Electoral expenses and electoral donation form must be

completed

• Forms to be returned by Friday 9 December (enforced)
• Forms available for public inspection
• Care to ensure accurate (declaration)

Scrutineers

• Candidates may appoint scrutineers
• Can observe:
• Roll scrutiny process (during voting period)
• Counting of votes (after close of voting)
• Cannot observe early processing (during voting period)
• Processing centre in Auckland
• Must be aged over 18 years
• Scrutineer appointment before noon Friday 7 October

Results

• Voting closes noon Saturday 8 October
• Progress results
• 95% votes counted, excludes votes lodged at council offices on

election morning

• All candidates emailed, media advised
• Preliminary results (100% votes counted) later in evening
• All results available on www.votewaikato.co.nz
• Final results Thursday 13 October 2016
• Declaration of results in newspapers 15 October 2016
• Elected members take office day after public notice

Resources

• Candidate Information Handbook
• Talk to presenter or council officer
• www.votewaikato.co.nz
• Electoral legislation www.legislation.govt.nz
• Attend a council meeting
• Read agenda and minutes that are available on line

www.waikatodistrict.govt.nz

What happens if elected?

• Sue Duignan

• Informal get together
• Swearing in ceremony

– first council meeting

• Induction
• Training on delegated authority and processes

What happens after election day?

• Represent the interests of the district, its

residents and ratepayers

• Develop and adopt Council policy
• Employ the Chief Executive
• Monitor Council’s performance
• Manage Council resources prudently

Role of a councillor

• Lots of reading, e.g. agendas and papers for all

meetings

• Approximately 5-6 council and/or committee

meetings each month

• Approximately 3 workshops each month
• Other meetings:

– hearings, deliberations, district licensing committee

• To be available to and for constituents

Time expectations of councillors

Role of a community board member

• Be a link between the community and Council
• Look after local interests
• Enable communities to have a voice
• Consider and report on all matters referred to it

by Council

• Attend approximately 7 formal meetings a year
• Read and be familiar with agendas and other

papers for each meeting

Time expectations of board members

Community Board Map

Perspectives of a former Mayor

• Peter Harris

Perspectives of a former Councillor

• Ian McLennan

• Questions?
• Coffee/tea

Wrap up