Nominations for Tauranga City Council Mayor and Councillors are now open ahead of the city's first election in nearly five years.

On 20 July, the city will elect 10 new people to Council – the Mayor, eight general ward Councillors and one Councillor for the new Māori ward, Te Awanui.

“This is one of the most transformational periods in Tauranga’s history,” says Marty Grenfell, Tauranga City Council Chief Executive.

“We live in one of the fastest growing regions with a burgeoning economy playing an important role in the country’s prosperity, and we have a rich cultural history with an ever-increasing culture and arts scene.

“If you’re excited and inspired by the developments of our city, this is your opportunity to be involved in its future.”

The new council members will be making significant decisions for Tauranga’s current and future infrastructure and community services needs. They will be responsible for managing close to $7 billion worth of assets and investing some $4.9 billion in new or upgraded assets over the next ten years.

“As a city leader, you’ll be making decisions for the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Tauranga’s communities, overseeing and working collaboratively with other elected members to make decisions about the future of our city,” says Marty.

To stand for Council, candidates are required to be:

• A New Zealand citizen by birth or through a citizenship ceremony

• Enrolled to vote on the General or Māori roll

• Nominated by two people who are enrolled to vote in Tauranga. Nominations close on Friday, 24 May and nomination forms are now available on the Tauranga City Council elections webpage.

Voting opens on Saturday, 29 June and closes on Saturday, 20 July at 12pm. For more information, visit Council’s election webpage.

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