Wards and Boards
The Ōtorohanga District is made up of five electoral wards and one district-wide Māori Ward. Where you live, determines which ward you get to vote in and how many elected members you get to vote for. The exception to this is your vote for Mayor.
Anyone on the Māori electoral roll will have two votes for their preferred candidates for the Māori ward, plus a vote for the Mayor.
The Ōtorohanga District Council election will be for the Mayor and 9 councillors as follows:
- Kāwhia/Tihiroa Ward (2 councillors)
- Kio Kio/Korakonui Ward (1 councillor)
- Ōtorohanga Ward (2 councillors)
- Waipā Ward (1 councillor)
- Wharepuhanga Ward (1 councillor)
- One district-wide Māori Ward - Rangiatea (2 councillors)
- Mayor elected at large
Waikato Regional Council
There are 14 councillors, made up of 12 general seats and two Māori seats. Electors that are on the general roll for national election cast a vote for candidates standing in general seats. Electors that are on the Māori roll vote for candidates standing in the Māori seats.
Find out more on Waikato regional Council website.
Community Boards
Council has established Community Boards in Ōtorohanga and Kāwhia/Aotea. There are four members on each board.
Community Boards are sufficiently distinct from the rest of the District and provide a separate layer of representation.
Roles of the Community Boards:
- Advocating the interests of its communities
- Considering and reporting on all matters referred to it by Council, or any matter of concern to the Community Board
- Maintaining an overview of services provided by the territorial authority within the community
- Preparing an annual submission to Council for expenditure within the community
- Communicating with their communities
- Undertaking other responsibilities delegated to it by Council
The Community Boards may make recommendations to Council on any matter of interest and may seek approval for any initiative for which authority has not already been delegated.
Council makes decisions on whether to adopt recommendations made by the Boards, but has maintained a good relationship with the Boards.
This gives the Boards significant control over Council activities in those communities.