Matt Cowley Tauranga City Councillor

Tauranga will open a new chapter later this year as current Mayor Stuart Crosby says he won't be standing for the mayoralty again.

The local body elections in October could be the most exciting in a while as the city carefully selects its new mayor.

The mayor's job is important, but it's not as significant as most people may think. He or she is the spokesperson on behalf of the city, they can appoint the deputy mayor, they chair meetings, and they can lead policy and budgets processes.

But the mayor is just one of 11 votes. This means divisive personalities would be powerless as the Mayor of Tauranga if they don't have the support of most councillors.

It's critical that the next mayor can confidently lead a team of councillors who hold a diverse range of experience, worldviews, and skill levels.

I'm personally looking for someone who is less focused on pushing through their agenda. I will vote for a candidate who can build a strong team from a diverse mix of councillors. Like President Obama said recently: ‘I have faith in the people to make the right decision'.

I think Stuart has been a good mayor, especially since his tenure was dominated by dealing with the Global Financial Crisis.

I was fortunate to experience the magnificent way he conveyed the Western Bay of Plenty to business and civic leaders in China, Japan and Korea. Often these speeches were impromptu and would have made residents very proud if you heard them.

This was at the critical time when the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic and University of Waikato were signing agreements with their Asian counterparts for marine science and commercialisation of ideas.

But the current council chapter is not over yet. We still have important decisions to make before October.

Feel free to email me your thoughts (matt.cowley@tauranga.govt.nz), call/text me on 0276989548, and follow me at www.facebook.com/a.younger.voice.