Final Nominations for Gore District Council & Surrounds

While some councils in New Zealand have been struggling for candidates for this year’s local body elections, the Gore District Council isn’t one of them.

At the close of nominations today there were sufficient nominations to require an election for the mayoralty, the Gore ward, District-wide and the Mataura Community Board. Incumbent Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks is seeking re-election for his seventh term as mayor.

Also running for the mayoralty is first time candidate Ben Bell. In the Gore ward there are nine nominations for the five seats.

Four of those are sitting councillors – Glenys Dickson, Nick Grant, Bret Highsted and Bronwyn Reid. There has been strong interest in the Mataura Community Board with 10 people contesting the five seats.

Steve Boko Dixon is the only incumbent board member seeking re-election. Voting papers and information about the candidates will be mailed out to Gore District Council electors on Friday 16 September. Voting will close at midday on Saturday 8 October.

Where the number of candidates does not exceed the number of vacancies, the candidates are automatically elected and no election process will be required for these positions. Where there are fewer candidates than vacancies available, an extraordinary vacancy arises and where required, the electoral officer will advertise a separate by-election process in November to fill those remaining positions.

Nominations received by the Gore District electoral officer by noon today were:

Mayoralty (1 vacancy)