CODC mayor Tim Cadogan announces resignation

Central Otago District Mayor Tim Cadogan has broken down in tears during a Facebook live Monday evening announcing his planned resignation from the council.

The eight-year mayor will be leaving the district to take up a role as local government engagement specialist with national water regulator Taumata Arowai in Wellington.

The mayor was forced to cut his broadcast short as he became visibly overwhelmed with emotion, but not before indicating his intention to step down from the role of mayor from Labour weekend.

The date is crucial, with Mayor Cadogan stressing the announcement, already discussed with councillors, is flagging his future intention to resign.

By holding off until Labour weekend, his departure will be within 12 months of the next local government elections.

Any longer, and a "phenomenally expensive" by-election would be triggered, he says.

"That's the last thing I want to create for Central Otago."

So, what happens to a council with no mayor? Well, a replacement will be needed to fill the vacancy, but that replacement will not be decided on by ratepayers.

"The council will, on a scheduled meeting on October 30, which is the Wednesday, I'll be finishing on the Saturday...out of the current council ranks, promote one of those people to become the new mayor of Central Otago."

Mayor Cadogan told his Facebook audience the decision to leave early had not been "an easy one", however he always knew he didn't want a fourth term and the upcoming Long Term Plan cycle was considered in his thinking.

The development and sign off of a new 10 year spending and rating plan for the district is on the horizon.

The process usually takes place mid-term for a council but, in Central Otago's case, this time round, it has been pushed out by a year.

"It seemed to me...it didn't make a lot of sense to leading a new long term plan I wouldn't be in place for to carry through into the next term...It made a lot more sense to me to step aside before that time and allow a new mayor to step into the office and to lead that LTP and hopefully beyond that LTP into the next term."

Of course, there will still be an election come October 2025, and it will ultimately be up to the electorate to chose which candidate will, among those who put themselves forward and contest ideas, take the mayoralty - and the LTP - forwards.

The mayor did not manage to share details of the new role with Taumata Arowai during the Facebook live, however he posted a follow-up message to his Facebook page not long after explaining all.

"Sorry for the truncated ending to Facebook Live. What I would have said had I not been losing it a wee bit was that, alongside being a father of a blended family and a husband, being the mayor of this district has been the greatest privilege of my life. It has been an honour and a pleasure to have been in this role for the last eight years.