Last-minute candidates mean big election choices

August 16th, 2013
[TDC press release and David Armstrong]

Nominations closed at noon today for the Local Government Elections in October with nearly 50 people putting their names forward for the Mayoralty, Councillor and Community Board positions in Tasman.

The Motueka Community Board will be the most hotly contested public office with 12 people standing for four positions, while the three Motueka Ward councillor positions will be contested by seven people including, yet again, Jack Inglis.

There are five mayoral candidates with the incumbent Richard Kempthorne looking for a third term against sitting Councillor Kit Maling, Maxwell Clark, Gary Watson and Steve Richards.

Those standing to be one of three Motueka ward councillors are Paul Blackham, Cr Barry Dowler, Peter Canton, Tara Forde, Rob Francis, Cr Jack Inglis and Gail Jewell.

Three of the incumbent members of the Motueka Community Board - David Ogilvie, Paul Hawkes and Cliff Satherley - are standing again, and nine newcomers have joined them to offer voters a big choice.

The new candidates include Linda Woodgate, Dana Wensley, Kendell Riley, Russell Loader, Dave leLong, Boris Leegwater, Richard Horrell, Linda Glew and Anna Louise Cole.

Election process and website coverage

Voting forms for the postal vote will be arriving in registered electors mailboxes from September 20th, and voting papers must be received back by 12 noon, Saturday October 12th.

The voting forms will be accompanied with a candidate information book providing a profile of each of the candidates and what they will bring to the position.

From this Monday coming, Motueka Online will provide a section of this website dedicated to the elections. Mainly this will comprise two sections:

The profiles of any candidate for Mayor, Motueka ward Councillor and Community Board member who sends their information including photo, CV and policies. Candidates who wish to be included should email their files to .
An open forum for anyone wanting to ask candidates questions or to express publishable opinions on relevant issues, and for candidates to respond to any questions or issues.

There will be two official "Meet the Candidates" meetings held in Motueka Memorial Hall. Both will ask questioners to submit questions in writing beforehand.

On Friday September 13th at 7.15pm, hosted by Our Town Motueka and Vision Motueka;
On the following Friday September 20th at 1.00pm, hosted by Grey Power Motueka.

Comment by Jim Butler:
[Posted 18 August 2013]

1. On average TDC has been spending about 10% more that its income during each of the last 10 years. So now over $8 million a year is spent on interest payments for these debts.

2. During this same 10 year period TDC's total rate income has more than doubled which is several times more than the inflation rate and/or increase in the number of district ratepayers over this same period.

3. If any of the Mayoral or Council candidates have proposals to limit or reduce iitems in 1 or 2 above, preferably both, I am sure readers of Motueka Online will be interested.

4. What services provided now by TDC would be limited or cut by any of these proposals?

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