Mayors all?

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32775, 27 November 1971, Page 1

Mayors all?

North Canterbury Counties want their chairman called "County Mayor," their honorarium increased from $3OOO to $5OOO, and all mayors, in both counties and municipalities, to be elected by the councils, not by the voters. The chairman of the Akaroa County Council (Mr G. P. A de Latour), in reporting these decision taken at a recent meeting of the No. 11 ward of the New Zealand Counties’ Association, said he thought the vote for the title of major instead of chairman was a trifle status-seek-ing.

The resolutions of the ward were required urgently by the Counties' Association, which will make submissions on the Local Government Bill.

The ward .meeting also tosolved that the option of plural voting be at the discretion of each local body; and that the freeholder qualification for voting should apply in counties as it does in municpalities. The ward also wants the minimum population for city classification increased from 20,000 to 50,000; and the minimum for a borough increased to 5000. The ward resolved in favour of a five-year term for all councils instead of the present three years, Mr de Latour said. However, the voting on that issue had been very close —seven to six—

and the chairman (Mr C. Mackenzie) Waipara County did not vote.