The incumbent Napier mayor and her two rivals all made five-minute candidate pitches and answered questions before members of Grey Power in Taradale on Tuesday afternoon.

The hall was packed with no spare seats. The event was chaired by former city councillor and Grey Power deputy chair Maxine Boag, assisted by retiring deputy-mayor Annette Brosnan.

Sitting Mayor Kirsten Wise started with a list of her accomplishments as mayor, and said it was not a time for change but for stability.

Highlights of her leadership included having led the city through two major crises, investing $100m in clean water, restoring the War Memorial, and delivering cost savings of $7 million just this year. 

She also noted that she had recently set up a new Council Controlled Trading Organisation to develop new revenue streams for ratepayers, advocated for overnight medical services in Napier, and championed Māori wards. 

If elected, Wise said she would continue to look for ways to save money and ground her leadership in long term thinking.

Richard McGrath’s pitch was of the ‘everyman’ variety – an experienced councillor and ordinary common-sense kiwi man willing to stand against group think and go against the tide when necessary. 

He said the council had lost its focus and wasn’t prioritising its responsibilities appropriately. He said NCC needed to get back to water, roads, rubbish and civil defence – all areas where progress had been lacking in his view – and called for common sense and a back to basics approach.

McGrath said Ahuriri regional park and waka hubs were examples of things the city didn’t need at the moment, while staffing levels had grown significantly and could be an area of future cost cutting. But it all depended on what the community was willing to give up.

He noted that he voted against the last two annual plans and their respective rate rises, and pointed out that he was the only councillor to do so. He also noted his 98% council meeting attendance rate. 

He was cagey on the topic of Maori wards, keeping his response to a question about his voting record (initially for, and later abstaining in protest) on the topic very brief. He emphasised his willingness to work with “anyone and everyone”, and said issues were resolved by people getting around the table together. 

Nigel Simpson could perhaps best be characterised as sensible, but with little charisma – practical and grounded in governance and business experience..

With a Masters in Business Administration, he is a member of the Taradale business association and Chamber of Commerce, sits on the board of directors of a couple of businesses and farms a lifestyle block … and an experienced city councillor.

With these ‘bona fides’ he proposed to “turn Napier around” and make it the “best provincial city in New Zealand”. Under his leadership, essentials would be managing infrastructure and catching up on deferred maintenance, something his strategy, policy development and implementation skills, would stand him in good stead to deliver, he said.

Managing and reducing unnecessary costs was the council’s biggest challenge in his view, and ensuring that operational costs were paid for from rates and not borrowing.

The presentations were live-streamed have been placed online here by NCC candidate and Councillor Sally Crown on her Facebook page.

A forum presenting Napier City Council candidates will be held on Tuesday, 16 September at St Columba’s church, 176 Gloucester Street, Taradale, starting at 1:30 pm. Open to the public.