Invercargill will soon have a new mayor. Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Invercargill will soon have a new mayor but for the first time since the 1990s an incumbent isn't in the mix.
Most of the time it has been the country's longest serving mayor, Sir Tim Shadbolt, who was pipped to the post last election by then councillor Nobby Clark.
This election would be different with current mayor Nobby Clark stepping down and eight candidates competing to take the mantle, a mix of current councillors and new faces.
Grey Power Southland seniors advocate Stephnie de Ruyter said rates affordability was top of mind for many ratepayers.
Grey Power offered emergency grants in times of financial need and more of those grants were going toward rates arrears and to cover power bills, de Ruyter said.
It was something it had helped with in the past - but never in the numbers she was currently seeing.
"I do get phone calls from people who say 'Look, it's gone up to this. My income is $500 a week, superannuation that's all I've got. We've cut back on food, we're not heating the house to pay the rates, and that's really quite depressing," de Ruyter said.
Older people should be able to afford to live in warm, dry, comfortable homes, and eat well, she said.
"Even people who have more income than just their superannuation are struggling to pay their rates."
The pressure was not just coming from being a smaller rating base, she said.
"Over the years, more and more work has been transferred to local bodies by government, successive governments, but there's not been the funding come with it and so the ratepayers are picking up the tab."
Sir Tim Shadbolt was the mayor of Invercargill for 24 years the second time around. The first time he was mayor for two years, from 1993 to 1995. Photo: RNZ / Lydia Anderson
She would like the council to lobby the government to make sure councils were fully funded for all the additional services they were now expected to provide.
The eight candidates would get the chance to pitch their case at the Southland Business Chamber's mayoral debate in Invercargill on Tuesday night.
Chamber chief executive Sheree Carey said they wanted to hear about how candidates planned to make it easier to do business and invest.
"Business are the lifeblood of the region. They employ all the people, which are then the ratepayers so if business isn't doing well, then we don't have ratepayers so it is a big council issue," she said.
"Economic development hasn't necessarily been a huge discussion point around the council table over the last term so I'd like to see it being discussed more."
She wanted attention on what the council was doing right, not what it was doing wrong.
"We've seen a lot of distractions in the last term. We had a lot of Code of Conducts.
"We're in the paper for all the wrong reasons. We're on national TV for all the wrong reasons," she said.
"We would like to see the focus be really on council and them doing their job rather than all the distractions that go around it."
Incumbent mayor Nobby Clark cost his ratepayers $60,000 last year for investigations into his behaviour. Photo: ODT/Supplied
Carey said the region was punching above its weight and it needed a leader who had good government connections and communication
"Our unemployment's still really low. We've got new industry coming, but the council has a big part to play in that and as the leader of the council, we want to hear the thoughts about how they will lead new industry, how they will welcome investment, how they'll get skilled workers to the city."
Invercargill resident Nathan, who didn't give his surname, wanted the city to attract more young people to live here.
"There is a whole lot of young people down here, which is quite cool to see but there's just not enough of them," he said.
"It would be quite cool to see Invercargill become a hub that people want to come down to and grow career-wise and professionally.
"There is a lot of opportunities down here so that's what's important to me."
He would like to see more involvement in engaging rangatahi in the high schools and showing them what the city could offer.
But did he think the city was ready for change?
"Aww, s*** yeah. One hundred percent... let's get stuff happening, we need it."
Another local, Kayne Fletcher, agreed.
He wanted to see the council do more to support the city's rangatahi, their mental health and wellbeing.
The city was absolutely ready for change, Fletcher said.
"It's a need I think. There's always a need for change at some point or another. I think it will be a good time for a bit of change and maybe a bit of a spark into what can be."
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