Roles of Elected Members

Who Represents You?

When you vote in local elections, you're choosing people to represent your voice at Council. These elected members serve three-year terms, and there's no limit to how many times they can stand for election. Whether they represent a General Ward or Māori Ward, every elected member makes the same promise: to serve faithfully, impartially, and in the best interests of our entire district.

Contact details for the Mayor and Elected Members can be found here.

What Does Council Do?

Your elected Council has overall responsibility for directing and controlling Council activities to achieve community outcomes. This means they:

• Set the direction – Through the Long-Term Plan, Council decides what services and activities will be delivered over the next ten years, shaped by what matters most to our communities.
• Manage the money – Council determines how much needs to be spent and where funding comes from, balancing community needs with affordability.
• Create the rules – From bylaws to policies covering everything from financial management to district planning, Council develops and oversees the frameworks that keep our district running.
• Monitor progress – Council regularly checks how we're performing against our goals and community outcomes, including formally signing off the Annual Report.
• Look after resources – Your elected members ensure Council resources are used wisely and responsibly.
• Employ leadership – Council employs, sets performance expectations for, and monitors the Chief Executive, who then manages all Council staff.

Important principle: Individual elected members (including the Mayor) cannot act alone on Council's behalf unless Council has specifically given them that authority. Decisions require a majority vote at official meetings, where each member has one vote and the Mayor holds a casting vote if needed.

The Mayor's Role

The Mayor is elected by everyone across the district and carries both the same responsibilities as other Council members, plus additional leadership functions:

• Running meetings – The Mayor chairs Council meetings, ensuring business is conducted in an orderly way according to Standing Orders.
• Championing the district – The Mayor promotes Ruapehu and represents our communities' interests, particularly effective when working with Council's knowledge and support.
• Ceremonial duties – The Mayor serves as Council's ceremonial head at official events.
• Providing leadership – The Mayor leads Council, offers feedback to members on teamwork, and chairs committees.
• Strategic planning – The Mayor leads development of district plans, including the Long-Term Plan, Annual Plan, policies, and budgets for Council's consideration.
• Committee oversight – The Mayor establishes principal committees and appoints chairs, and is a member of each committee.
• Appointing the Deputy – The Mayor selects a Deputy Mayor from elected ward councillors.

The Mayor holds no power to commit Council to actions without proper delegated authority. By law, the Mayor must also serve as a Justice of the Peace whilst in office.

The Deputy Mayor's Role

Appointed by the Mayor after each election, the Deputy Mayor carries out all elected member duties and steps into the Mayor's shoes when the Mayor is absent, incapacitated, or if the position becomes vacant. Council can remove the Deputy Mayor by resolution if needed.

Committee Chairs

Council has established a Risk and Assurance Committee with an independently appointed Chair who presides over meetings and ensures the committee operates within its delegated powers as set out in Council's Delegations Register. Committee Chairs can be removed by Council resolution.