Hutt City Councillors voted at their Council meeting today to leave a vacant Councillor position unfilled for the remainder of the current triennium. A new Council will be elected at the local body elections on 8 October 2022.

The vacancy was created by the resignation of Shazly Rasheed on May 27.

Many of former Cr Rasheed’s responsibilities will be fulfilled by other elected members as set out below:

• Councillor Andy Mitchell will become the Deputy Chair of the Komiti Kaupapa Taio/Climate Change and Sustainability Committee,
• Councillor Keri Brown will become the Deputy Chair of the Komiti Tuku Raihana ā-Rohe/District Licensing Committee)
• Deputy Mayor Tui Lewis will become Council’s representative on the Epuni Care and Protection Residence.

In the event of an extraordinary vacancy (and where the vacancy is not filled), the Remuneration Authority mandates the vacant salary is distributed among remaining councillors. There is no ability to decline this redistribution, however most councillors have committed to donating any remuneration increase to charity/community organisations.

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