Mayor of Waipa
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Use New Zealand English|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox official post
| post = Mayor
| body = Waipa
| insignia =
| insigniacaption =
| insigniaalt =
| flagalt =
| flagcaption =
| image = Susan O'Regan.jpg
| alt =
| imagecaption = Susan O'Regan
| incumbent = Susan O'Regan
| incumbentsince = 2022
| style = His/Her Worship
| seat = 101 Bank Street, Te Awamutu
| termlength = 3 years
| inaugural =
| formation = 1989
| first = Bruce Berquist
| last =
| abolished =
| deputy =
| salary =
| website =
| footnotes =
}}
The mayor of Waipā officiates over the Waipa District of New Zealand's North Island. There have been five mayors since the formation of Waipā District in 1989. The incumbent mayor is Susan O'Regan, who was elected on 8 October 2022.
History
Bruce Berquist was elected the first mayor of Waipā District in 1989, defeating chief executive of Hamilton Airport, Barry O'Connor.{{cite news |title=Winging his way to new horizons |work=Waikato Times |date=25 August 2001}} Berquist stood down at the 1995 local-body elections, when the mayoralty was contested by Te Miro farmer John Hewitt and the National Party MP Katherine O'Regan. Most pundits considered that O'Regan would win, but Hewitt was elected with a substantial majority. Hewitt considered resigning the following year when his wife, Joslyn, was diagnosed and subsequently died from bone cancer. However, he remained in office, and was re-elected in 1998 with a majority of 400 votes, before deciding not to seek re-election in 2001.{{cite news |title=Waipa's mayor calls it a day - to spend more time down on the farm |first=Mary Anne |last=Gill |date=18 June 2001 |work=Waikato Times}}{{cite news |url=https://www.teawamutu.nz/community/people/john-hewitt/ |title=John Hewitt |date=11 January 2012 |work=Te Awamutu Courier |access-date=12 February 2022}}
Alan Livingston was elected mayor in 2001, and served four terms before stepping down in 2013.{{cite news |url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/8724929/Waipa-mayor-Alan-Livingston-steps-down |title=Waipa mayor Alan Livingston steps down |date=28 May 2013 |work=Waikato Times |access-date=12 February 2022}} Livingston later served as chair of the Waikato Regional Council from 2016 to 2019, and was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to sports and the community, in the 2014 New Year Honours.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/9565069/Four-ex-Waikato-mayors-named-in-NY-Honours |title=Four ex-Waikato mayors named in NY Honours |first1=Elton |last1=Smallman |first2=Steve |last2=Edwards |date=31 December 2013 |work=Waikato Times |access-date=12 February 2022}}
Jim Mylchreest, was first elected in 2013, with a margin of more than 600 votes over nearest rival Pat Bishop in a four-candidate race.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/election-2013/9278815/New-mayors-long-held-desire-fulfilled |title=New mayor's long-held desire fulfilled |first=Viv |last=Posselt |date=14 October 2013 |work=Waikato Times |access-date=12 February 2022}} He was re-elected in 2016, defeating the only other candidate, Vern Wilson, by over 4500 votes,{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/85115713/jim-mylchreest-reelected-waipa-mayor-for-second-term |title=Jim Mylchreest reelected Waipa mayor for second term |first=Kelley |last=Tantau |date=8 October 2016 |work=Stuff |access-date=12 February 2022}} and was elected unopposed in 2019.{{cite news |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/waikato-times/news/115109650/one-horse-mayoral-races-alarming-says-political-commentator |title=One horse mayoral races 'alarming', says political commentator |first=Gary |last=Farrow |date=20 August 2019 |work=Waikato Times |access-date=12 February 2022}}
In 2022, he lost by 1900 votes to two-term councillor Susan O'Regan, whose mother Katherine O'Regan had missed out on the mayoralty in 1995.{{Cite web |last=Gill |first=Mary Anne |date=2022-10-08 |title=Susan O'Regan elected Waipā mayor |url=https://www.cambridgenews.nz/2022/10/susan-oregan-elected-waipa-mayor/ |access-date=2022-10-11 |website=Cambridge News |language=en}}
