Roles of Elected Members

Mayor and Elected Members

Contact details for the Mayor and Elected Members can be found here.

Division of Responsibility Between Council and Management

A key to the efficient running of any Council is that there is a clear division between the role of elected members and that of management. This Governance Statement:

Clarifies the governance and the management responsibilities.
Clarifies the governance role and expected conduct of elected members.
Describes the effective, open and transparent processes used by Council.
Ensures separation of regulatory and non-regulatory responsibilities.
Explains the good employer requirements.

Governance statements ensure the community has information on the processes Council follows when making decisions and taking action and how the community can influence these processes. While many of Council’s functions have been delegated, the overall responsibility for maintaining effective systems of internal control ultimately rests with Council. Internal control includes the policies, systems and procedures established to provide measurable assurance that specific objectives will be achieved

Collective Duties of the Council

Councillors are elected to represent their communities for three-year terms. There is no limit on the number of terms they may serve. On election all Elected Members, whether elected from the General or Māori Ward, must make a declaration that they will perform their duties faithfully and impartially, and according to their best skill and judgement in the best interests of the entire District.

Council, as Elected Members, has overall responsibility and accountability for the proper direction and control of Council’s activities in pursuit of community outcomes. This responsibility includes:

Representing the interests of the Council
Formulating the Council’s strategic direction and relative priorities through the Long Term Plan, which determines the services and activities to be undertaken by Council over a ten-year period
Determining the expenditure and funding requirements of council activities through the Long Term Plan and annual planning processes
Overseeing, developing and/or approving all council policies, administrative, legal, financial and strategic, including formal district planning matters within the council’s geographical area of responsibility
Monitoring the on-going performance of council against its stated objectives, policies (including formal sign-off of the Annual Report) and identified Community Outcomes.
Ensuring prudent use of council resources
Law-making (bylaws)
Overseeing council compliance with any relevant Acts of Parliament
Employing, setting performance requirements for, and monitoring the on-going performance of the council’s Chief Executive (under the Local Government Act 2002).
The development and adoption of council policy
Monitoring the performance of the Council against its stated objectives, policies
Prudent stewardship of the Council's resources
Employing and overseeing the Chief Executive.
Representing your interests as a resident and/or ratepayer of the Ruapehu District.

Unless otherwise provided in the Local Government Act 2002 or in standing orders, the Council can only act by majority decisions at meetings. Each member has one vote and the Chairperson has a casting vote. Any individual member (including the Mayor) has no authority to act on behalf of the Council unless the Council has expressly delegated such authority.

Role and Powers of the Mayor

The Mayor is elected by the District as a whole for a three-year term. The Mayor shares the same responsibilities as other elected members of Council, and also has the following roles:

Presiding member at Council meetings. The Mayor is responsible for ensuring the orderly conduct of business during meetings (as determined in Council’s Standing Orders).
Advocate on behalf of the District. This role may involve promoting the District and representing interests of the District’s residents. Such advocacy will be most effective where it carried out with the knowledge and support of the Council.
Ceremonial head of Council
Provider of leadership to Council and feedback to other elected members on teamwork and chairing of Committees

The 2012 Amendments to the LGA 2002 also add the following roles of the Mayor:

Ability to appoint a Deputy Mayor.
Ability to establish principal committees and appoint the Chair. The Mayor is a member of each committee.
Lead the development of the District’s plans, including the Long Term Plan and Annual Plan, policies, and budgets for consideration of Council.

The Mayor has no power to commit the Council to any particular, course of action except where specifically authorised to act under duly delegated authority.

The Mayor is required to be a Justice of the Peace while holding office as Mayor.

Role of the Deputy Mayor

The Mayor appoints one of the elected ward councillors to be the Deputy Mayor after the triennial election.

The Deputy Mayor exercises the same roles as other elected members. In addition, if the Mayor is absent or incapacitated, or if the office of Mayor is vacant, then the Deputy Mayor must perform all of the responsibilities and duties, and may exercise the powers of the Mayor (as summarised above).

The Deputy Mayor may be removed from office by resolution of the Council.

Role of the Committee Chairperson

Council has created one standing committee, the Risk and Assurance Committee. The independently appointed Chairperson is responsible for:

Presiding over meetings of the Committee.
Ensuring that the Committee acts within the powers delegated by Council, and as set
out in the Council’s Delegations Register.

A Committee Chair may be removed from office by resolution of Council.

Role of Community Boards

As part of the Review of the Basis of Election (Representation Review) Council strongly indicated that the new model for governance for the Ruapehu District, would be one of increased involvement and delegation to the Community Boards, with the Council taking on a more strategic role.

Following a series of workshops with Council and Community Board Members, a report outlining recommendations for the future roles and responsibilities of Community Boards was tabled for adoption by Council.

The recommendations formally adopted at the 22 June 2022 meeting are set out below under the four main headings: Leadership and Decision Making, Relationships, Planning, and Support.

These recommendations set the framework for the three Community Boards following the 2022 elections.

Leadership and Decision Making

Community Boards have specific roles to fulfill in the Local Government Structure. In performing this role, Community Boards will be recognised as taking local leadership, whilst Council takes leadership of District-wide matters. Leadership and the importance of decision-making in the Community Board area was seen as important function for the Community Boards.

The following are the recommendations adopted for Leadership and Decision Making:

That Community Boards should be the natural first place for the Community to turn to.
Community Boards will be recognised as taking local leadership whilst Council takes leadership of District-wide matters; That Community Boards are set up for success to assume leadership within their communities;
That Bylaws have the correct level of local input and (without conflict) are able to reflect local needs and wishes;
That disposals of assets have the correct level of local input, and are able to reflect local needs and wishes;
That community funding outside of policy criteria (unless legislation requires otherwise) sit with the Community Boards;
That new plantings – parks and reserves - (and not just removals) be approved by Community Boards in conjunction with council officers;
That Community Boards be informed of new liquor and gambling licences;
That Community Boards are fully informed on events in their area, and event organisers are encouraged to engage with the Community Board at the earliest opportunity;
That Community Board Chairs have a great role in the local community and are officially involved in important events in their Community Board area;
That the Chair (or representative) of Community Boards may be present at Council meetings, and have speaking rights during deputations, for items that have an affect or an importance for that Community Board area; and
That Community Board Members be invited to all Council workshops. Note: the only exception to this is where the Workshop Chair considers the topic should exclude them.

Relationships

The importance of relationships has been discussed with full agreement that this will underpin future success. The relationship between the Community Boards, community, iwi, Council officers, and Council will drive the success of the Community Boards.

The following are the recommendations adopted for Relationships:

That the model going forward will be one of collaboration in decision-making in conjunction with Council officers and Council;
That Community Boards will work collaboratively with the community, council officers and Councillors, to build strong relationship and partnerships, and make decisions in conjunction with staff expertise;
That the Chair of Community Boards may be present at Council meetings, and have speaking rights during deputations, for items that have an affect or an importance for that Community Board area;
That Community Boards have a strong role in representing and advocating for their communities on current issues;
That the Mayor consults with Community Boards on the Councillor appointed to the Community Board; and
That the key principle for Community Boards is to respond locally and cooperatively with Iwi, Council officers, Council, and community groups to find solutions.

Planning

The role of planning is about building the community and placemaking (which is about making places, and a community where people want to live and work). Community Boards understand their communities and are involved in the “on the ground” issues that can enhance or compromise wellbeing. Community Plans can take on many forms (i.e., spatial plans, village plans, local plans) and are not limited to the above.

The following are the recommendations adopted for Planning:

That the primary role will be place-making and the wellbeing of communities;
That the purpose of the future Community Boards will be to deliver on prioritised Community Plans (in what ever form they take); and
That Community Boards will work on local plans (that input into Annual / Long Term Plan budgets and District Plans) with communities to agree and prioritise needs and future actions.

Support

Support comes in the form of both human and other resources.

The following are the adopted recommendations for Support:

That Council has a continuous process for improvements in the delivery of reports and provision of information to Community Boards, and that the process is supported with the right resources, including IT resources;
That budgets align with the responsibilities. Budgets and funding for delegations, aspirations, priorities, and plans would remain within the current structure of long-term planning. Council budgets at a District-wide level include allocations for Town Revitalisation (Community Plans etc.) and are reviewed each Long-Term Plan, thus allowing for a dynamic response to community plans, and prioritisation of those plans by Community Boards; and
That by using the budget setting process of Council, Community Boards can prioritise their aspirations, actions and projects from their community plans, and other plans as developed. These will feed into the overall budgeting processes of Council allowing Council to make the final budget allocations within the Community Board areas for projects in each Long Term Plan year, and in Annual Plan years as necessary.