Crux podcast: Neil Gillespie on CODC's district funding and the next mayor

by Peter Newport - Oct 04, 2024

This week's Crux podcast guest is the Central Otago District Council's deputy mayor, Neil Gillespie, who has ruled himself out of the current mayoral race saying he enjoys his job with Contact Energy, volunteering for the fire brigade, and he wants "to stay married".

Mayor Tim Cadogan announced his surprise resignation earlier this week meaning that councillors will have to agree an interim mayor later this month.

Councillor Gillespie tells Crux he does not believe it is important whether the new mayor, interim or permanent, comes from Cromwell or Alexandra.

"I'm not convinced that really matters...I've been involved in local government since 1998, so I've been around a long time. What I've learned is that I get one vote and so does the mayor."

While he concedes the mayor does get to lead a group of councillors, he thinks that is no guarantee they can sway any vote.

"For many years I chaired the Cromwell Community Board, that's a leadership role, and you just don't get your own way.

"You get a chance maybe to trumpet your views more than others, perhaps give things a nudge. But at the end of the day, you've got one vote. And if someone else is going to cancel your vote out, then it's up to the others. That's where the democracy part comes into it."

He stresses councillors should come to the table with a district-wide lens. He also says there's been some misunderstanding over proposed changes taking land and resources away from the Cromwell Community Board, adding that Cromwell endowment land will remain to the exclusive benefit of Cromwell.

"My role as a councillor is to look at the big picture for the district. So it doesn't matter that I've been elected from a ward, I don't actually represent the ward's issues. I've got to consider those issues, obviously. But I've got to then weigh it up against the what is the right thing for the district."

Crux asked Councillor Gillespie if the next mayor of the CODC would come from Cromwell.

"There's no reason why not. There is absolutely no reason why not. But we've got to find the person that's got the time and the inclination to to do that. And I don't think it's going to make a blind bit of difference as to where the mayor comes from to be perfectly honest, and it shouldn't make any difference."

Councillor Gillespie also says that the rather awkward term "districtisation" is being dropped by CODC in favour of the more easy to understand "district funding".

In this week's podcast Kim Bowden and Peter Newport also discuss the top stories of the week including Mayor Tim Cadogan's resignation, Air New Zealand's regional flight reductions, Otago University's move into the district, and a brand new cycle trail.