Next year Aucklanders will have the opportunity to vote for who they want to lead their city. This includes the Mayor, Councillors, and Local Board members.
We face a lot of challenges as a city and we have to make tough decisions on what's important to our communities. So it's vital that we have good representatives who work hard for their communities, putting aside political differences to do the best we can. As a first time elected member, I've found the role is both challenging and rewarding.
On Wednesday 11 December 5-6pm there is a free online webinar for anyone who might be interested. Find out more here: https://ourauckland.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/events/2024/12/free-webinar-become-a-candidate-in-auckland-s-local-elections-2025/
For the Howick Local Board, there will be 11 positions (3 for Howick, 3 for Pakūranga, 2 for Botany and 3 (new) for Flat Bush). Once elected, the Board then selects one member to be the Chairperson and another as Deputy Chairperson. Each role is paid to reflect the demands on your time (roughly 10-20 hours a week), with the Chair and Deputy earning more (roughly 20-40 hours a week).
If anyone wants to understand more about the role of local boards and what it's like to be an elected member, I'm happy to provide non-political information. Feel free to contact me here or via email to arrange a time to chat (online or in person).