Whangarei's new mayor Morris Cutforth is asking his council for four months' leave to recover from a stroke.
Mr Cutforth was elected in a landslide victory in October last year, but suffered a minor stroke in February.
He has continued to work part-time, but says he has now had medical advice to rest to give himself the best chance of a full recovery.
Mr Cutforth said that, in hindsight, he should have taken leave earlier but the council had a number of important projects underway and it was hard not to be involved.
Deputy mayor Phil Halse is to take over most of Mr Cutforth's duties in the meantime.
