Councillor Aleisha Rutherford has been appointed as Palmy’s Deputy Mayor. Her appointment at today’s Council meeting takes effect from 1 November and follows the resignation of Tangi Utikere.

Cr Rutherford is in her third term in Council having first been elected in 2013, and at the age of 31, remains the youngest member of Council,

Mayor Smith said his appointment of Cr Rutherford provided balance. “We both complement each other’s strengths. Aleisha also has excellent leadership skills and diligence which are displayed in her role as Chair of the Planning and Strategy Committee, and Deputy Chair of both the Hearings Committee and the Environmental Sustainability Committee. Her enthusiasm and commitment to local government are reflected in her work on various other committees and appointments to outside organisations. I know she has the support from the other Councillors.”

As a consequence of her appointment, Cr Rutherford will be:

• Deputy Chair of Council
• Deputy Chair of Committee of Council.
• Chairperson - Hearings Committee,

As Deputy Mayor, Cr Rutherford will relinquish her portfolio duties and will assist holistically with all portfolios across Council. Cr Rutherford is also a Justice of the Peace.

Cr Rutherford says she is excited and humbled by the Mayor’s recommendation and her appointment as Deputy Mayor. “I have big shoes to fill. Tangi Utikere did a fantastic job in the role, and I want to honour him by working with the same level of commitment he gave. It’s a privilege to represent our community. I love our City, and I’m proud to call Palmy home. I’ll continue to work hard and ensure we keep our vision of ‘small city benefits - big-city ambition’ active and strong.”

Following Cr Rutherford’s appointment, there was also some reshuffling of Committees. Included in these changes were Cr Leonie Hapeta appointed as Chairperson of the Economic Development Committee, Cr Vaughan Dennison as Deputy Chairperson of the Economic Development Committee and Cr Susan Baty as Deputy Chairperson of the Hearings Committee.

The total pool available to fund remuneration of Council remains the same

A byelection is anticipated to be held on 17 February 2021 and for candidate nominations to open 24 November 2020. Confirmation of this date is expected soon.

Mayor Smith says, “I encourage people interested in standing as a local representative to start giving it some consideration.”

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