Mayor and Councillors

The elected Council is made up of the Mayor and 13 Councillors who represent the community.

The Mayor

The Mayor is elected by the community. As one of the elected members, the Mayor shares the same responsibilities as other members of Council.

In addition, the Mayor is expected to provide leadership and direction to the Council and community, chair Council meetings, be the public voice of the Council, and be accountable to the community.

Deputy Mayor

The Deputy Mayor exercises the same roles as other elected members. In addition, the Deputy Mayor may act on behalf of the Mayor when needed.

Elected Members

Elected members have two broad roles, a governance role and a representative role. This generally involves:

Governance

• The development and adoption of Council policy.
• Making decisions on the allocation of resources.
• Making regulatory decisions and ensuring council is fulfilling its regulatory functions.
• Adopting a Long Term Plan that sets out how council will meet community expectations and exercise responsible stewardship of the community's assets.
• Overseeing the strategic direction of the District.
• Reviewing Council's performance against its stated objectives and policies.
• Employment of the Chief Executive.

Representation

• Representing the interests of residents and ratepayers.
• Bringing the views of the community into the decision-making process. 
• Networking and communicating with the community.
• Facilitating communication between the council and the community.
• Promoting the overall interests of Council.

The Councillors each represent one of the wards in our District:

• Bream Bay General Ward
• Hikurangi - Coastal General Ward
• Mangakahia - Maungatapere General Ward
• Whangārei Heads General Ward
• Whangārei Urban General Ward
• Whangārei District Māori Ward.

You can find your ward and the elected members representing your ward on the following page.

District wards