Podcast: Mayor Tamah Alley wants a contested mayoral election in 2025

Central Otago has a new mayor, and it is Vincent Ward councillor and community board chair Tamah Alley.

Mayor Alley took over from three-term mayor Tim Cadogan, who vacated the role in favour of a new job with national water regulator Taumata Arowai in Wellington.

The former police constable, mother of three, and Alexandra local was appointed mayor by fellow district councillors at a full meeting of the council in Alexandra on October 30th.

In her first long form interview she discusses age, gender and democracy and how she craves a strong contested mayoral race next year in the local body elections. She also talks in detail about the relationship at the CODC between elected members and the executive leadership team. The contrast with the Queensotwn Lakes District Council could not be more dramatic.

Speaking after her appointment, Mayor Alley thanked the councillors for "trusting" her "to take the hot seat".

"We have our work cut out for us. This is a really tough time to be in local government, but that's also because it's a tough time to be in business in schools, in a job and in a family. We need to be passionate about making democracy work, and will carry on around this table despite the unusual circumstances of me sitting at this end.”

In this wide ranging discussion Peter Newport discusses with the new mayor her views on local body elections, Cromwell/Alexandra rivalry, the contentious issue of the Cromwell “land grab”, the future of local Government and what makes a good mayor.