Mayor of Buller District
Incumbent
Jamie Cleine
since 2019
StyleHis/Her Worship
SeatWestport
Term lengthThree years
Inaugural holderPat O'Dea
Formation1989
DeputySharon Roche

The Mayor of Buller is the head of the municipal government of Buller District, New Zealand. The mayor is directly elected using the first-past-the-post electoral system.

Jamie Cleine has been the mayor since the 2019 local elections.[1]

History

Buller District was established as part of the 1989 local government amalgamation of Buller County, Westport Borough and Inangahua County.[2]

Pat O'Dea was mayor for seven terms until his defeat in 2004, i.e. he was the inaugural mayor of Buller District, but had previously been mayor of Westport Borough since 1983.[3][4] In the 2001 local elections, Westport lawyer Martin Sawyers came within 335 votes of O'Dea, but in the 2004 local elections, Sawyers had a majority of 1072 votes.[5] Sawyers retired after his three-year term.[3]

The 2007 mayoral election was contested by Pat O'Dea, Pat McManus, and Inangahua Ward councillor Graeme Neylon; McManus was elected.[6][7] The 2010 mayoral election was fought by O'Dea and McManus, with the incumbent again successful.[8] At the 2013 local elections, McManus retired for health reasons after having earlier declared that he would stand for a third term.[9] The mayor from 2013 to 2019 was Garry Howard,[10] who defeated three-term councillor Margaret Montgomery and Greg Hart, who was first elected onto the council in the Westport Ward in 2013.[11][12]

List of mayors of Buller

Buller District has had five mayors:

Name Portrait Term
1 Pat O'Dea 1989–2004
2 Martin Sawyers 2004–2007
3 Pat McManus 2007–2013
4 Garry Howard 2013–2019
5 Jamie Cleine 2019–present

References

  1. ^ "Buller Mayors and Councillors". bullerdc.govt.nz. Buller District Council.
  2. ^ "Buller Heritage". Buller District Libraries. Retrieved 25 October 2013.
  3. ^ a b "Election Statistics". Department of Internal Affairs. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  4. ^ "Mayors on West Coast of South Island keep their jobs". Radio New Zealand. 9 October 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  5. ^ "West Coast's three mayors rolled, Moore and Shadbolt romp home". The New Zealand Herald. 9 October 2004. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Buller District Mayor". Local Government Online Limited. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  7. ^ "Buller District Council – Inangahua Ward". Local Government Online Limited. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  8. ^ "Buller District Mayor". Local Government Online Limited. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  9. ^ Aulakh, Ben; Scanlon, Lee (19 June 2013). "Buller Mayor to bow out". Otago Daily Times. Westport News. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  10. ^ "Mayor & Councillors". Buller District Council. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  11. ^ "Margaret Montgomery". Local Government Online Limited. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
  12. ^ "Buller District Council – Westport Ward". Local Government Online Limited. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
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