2024 Tauranga mayoral election explained

The 2024 Tauranga mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of Tauranga as part of the 2024 Tauranga local elections. The election took place between 29 June and 20 July 2024, with the official results released on 25 July. It was the first election since the Minister of Local Government appointed a Crown Commission on 9 February 2021 to oversee all of Tauranga City Council's governance responsibilities. The election was held using the Single Transferable Vote system.^[1]

Mahé Drysdale was elected as mayor.

Background

The last mayor, Tenby Powell, was elected to the office in October 2019 but resigned in November 2020, eight months after he was unanimously censured by his council for an angry outburst.^{[2] [3]} Following further mayoral "outbursts,"^{[4] [5]} Powell publicly called for the Minister of Local Government to appoint a commission to replace the "dysfunctional" council.^{[6] [7]} The decision to cancel the election for a new mayor and councillors, and the appointment of a crown commission instead by Local Government minister Nanaia Mahuta was not without controversy. A legal opinion by law firm Russell McVeagh found her decision may have been "unlawful"^[8] and Tauranga MP Simon Bridges called the decision "dramatic and draconian",^[9] while saying that Powell quitting removed "a significant source of friction" and it was reasonable to assume the council would become more functional with the election of a new Mayor and Councillors.^[10]

The 2022 local elections were cancelled by the government and the commission will remain in place until an election for members of the Tauranga City Council is held on 20 July 2024. Additionally, the Minister also decided to postpone the 2025 local election in Tauranga until 2028.^[11] The council elected in 2024 will thus serve a four year term, a first for New Zealand.^[12]

Key dates

Key dates for the election are:^[13]

• 19 April: Last day to switch electoral roll.
• 26 April: Nominations opened for candidates.
• 24 May: Nominations close.
• 29 June – 3 July: Voting papers delivered.
• 29 June: Special voting begins.
• 20 July: Polling day. Voting documents needed to be at council before voting closes at 12 noon. Preliminary results available as soon as all ordinary votes are counted.
• 23–25 July: Official results, including all valid ordinary and special votes, declared.

Candidates

Candidate	Ticket (if any)	Notes
Tanya Bamford-King	Independent
Aureliu Braguta	Independent
Greg Brownless	Community Focus - Responsible Spending	Mayor 2016–2019[14]
Andrew Caie	Independent
Mahé Drysdale		Olympic champion rower, grandson of former mayor Bob Owens[15]
Anthony Goddard
Chudleigh Haggett
Ria Hall		Musician and television presenter[16]
Donna Hannah
BOP Hori		Also stood in 2016
Tim Maltby	Our Rates are too High
Jos Nagels	Visionary Leadership, Not Repeatership
Douglas Owens	Independent	Former Bay of Plenty regional councillor. Son of former mayor Bob Owens, uncle of Mahé Drysdale
John Robson[17]	Principled; Professional; Democratic	Councillor 2013-2016, 2018-2021[18]
Tina Salisbury	People and Progress over Politics	Deputy mayor 2020–2021[19]

Withdrawn

• Eric Chuah^{[20] [21]}
• B A (Brian) Friend^{[22] [23]}

Results

The official results were released on 25 July,^[24] showing Mahé Drysdale was elected as mayor.^[25] Voter turnout was 38.77%,^[25] which compares with a turnout of 40.28% at the 2019 election.^[26]

Notes

1. Web site: Elections 2024 > Information for voters . www.tauranga.govt.nz . . 3 May 2024.
2. News: 'I made a mistake': Tauranga mayor told to apologise for 'outburst'. The New Zealand Herald. 16 January 2022.
3. Web site: SunLive – Mayor to apologise for "bullying comments" – The Bay's News First. Sunlive.co.nz. 16 January 2022.
4. News: Tauranga mayor Tenby Powell in informal meeting. The New Zealand Herald. 16 January 2022.
5. Web site: Tauranga mayor's profanity-laced flip-flop over quitting. 3 August 2020. Stuff.co.nz. 16 January 2022.
6. News: Shand. Matt. Tauranga mayor resigns, calls for commissioner to be appointed . . Stuff. 20 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201120074735/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300163045/minister-seeks-advice-on-commissioner-as-tauranga-mayor-resigns. 20 November 2020. live.
7. News: Tauranga mayor's shock resignation: Tenby Powell calls for Government to step in . 20 November 2020 . . . 20 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201120075136/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/tauranga-mayors-shock-resignation-tenby-powell-calls-for-government-to-step-in/BSTZXCJDPYMRYL27CUSQ6RX26Q/. 20 November 2020. live.
8. Web site: SunLive – Commissioners appointment labelled "unlawful" – The Bay's News First. Sunlive.co.nz. 16 January 2022.
9. News: . 11 July 2022 . 25 November 2020 . Samantha . Motion. 'Draconian': Simon Bridges urges minister not to intervene in council .
10. Web site: 'Draconian': Simon Bridges urges minister not to intervene in council . Samantha . Motion . 25 November 2020 . .
11. News: Dates for the Tauranga City Council Election in July 2024 and the Following Election . 22 August 2023 . . 5 May 2024 .
12. Web site: Tauranga City Council election: Four-year council term a first for New Zealand . 1 February 2024 . Bay of Plenty Times . New Zealand Herald . Alisha . Evans.
13. Web site: Elections 2024 . . 30 April 2024 .
14. News: Gillespie . Kiri . Wilson . Megan . 24 May 2024 . Tauranga election: Who's running and what you need to know about voting . 24 May 2024 . NZ Herald . en-NZ.
15. Web site: Sylvester . Catherine . 19 May 2024 . Tauranga election: Olympian Mahé Drysdale announces bid for mayor . Bay of Plenty Times . New Zealand Herald.
16. News: McConnell . Glenn . Tauranga's star studded return to democracy . 5 May 2024 . www.stuff.co.nz . Stuff.
17. Web site: Gillespie . Kiri . 14 May 2024 . Tauranga City Council election: Several sacked councillors running again . New Zealand Herald.
18. News: Evans . Alisha . 24 May 2024 . Tauranga City Council election hopefuls confirmed . 24 May 2024 . SunLive . en.
19. News: Evans . Alisha . 26 April 2024 . Tina Salisbury to run for Tauranga mayoralty . 30 April 2024 . SunLive.
20. Web site: Dr. Eric Chuah Standing For Mayor Of Tauranga . 17 May 2024 . scoop.co.nz.
21. Web site: Eric Chuah . 24 May 2024 . Facebook.
22. Web site: Elections 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240520193526/https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/council/about-your-council/elections-2024 . 20 May 2024 . Tauranga City Council.
23. Web site: Elections 2024 . Tauranga City Council.
24. Web site: Elections 2024 . Tauranga City Council . 25 July 2022.
25. Web site: 2024 Council Elections DECLARATION OF RESULT . Tauranga City Council . 25 July 2022.
26. News: Megan . Wilson . Mount Maunganui’s Jen Scoular only woman elected in Tauranga City Council 2024 election . Bay of Plenty Times . . 22 July 2022.