mayor of Manawatu

{{Short description|Mayor of the Manawatū District Of New Zealand}}

{{Infobox official post

| post = Mayor

| body = Manawatu

| insignia =

| insigniasize =

| insigniacaption =

| image =

| imagecaption =

| incumbent = Helen Worboys

| incumbentsince = 2016

| inaugural =

| style = His/Her Worship

| residence =

| termlength = Three years, renewable

| formation = 1989

| first =

| succession =

| salary = $132,068{{cite news |last1=Edmunds |first1=Susan |title=How much your local council gets paid |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/519420/how-much-your-local-council-gets-paid |access-date=31 December 2024 |work=RNZ |date=13 June 2024 |language=en-nz}}

| website = [https://www.mdc.govt.nz/about-council/people/mayor-and-councillors Official website]

| footnotes =

| deputy = Michael Ford{{cite web |title=Mayor & Councillors |url=https://www.mdc.govt.nz/about-council/people/mayor-and-councillors |website=www.mdc.govt.nz |publisher=Manawatū District Council |access-date=31 December 2024 |language=en |date=25 November 2024}}

}}

The mayor of Manawatu officiates over the Manawatū District Council.

Helen Worboys is the current mayor of Manawatu. She was elected in 2016 and re-elected in 2019.{{Cite news|url=https://stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/85110468/worboys-is-manawatus-new-mayor|title=Kouvelis 'disappointed for district' after Manawatu votes her out|last=Kilmister|first=Sam|date=8 October 2016|work=Manawatū Standard|publisher=Stuff Limited}}{{Cite news|url=https://stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/116527807/worboys-retains-manawat-mayoralty|title=Worboys retains Manawatū mayoralty|last=Rankin|first=Janine|date=12 October 2019|work=Manawatū Standard|publisher=Stuff Limited}}

History

The Manawatū District was formed through the amalgamation of the former Feilding Borough, Kiwitea County, Manawatu District, Oroua County and Pohangina County Councils in the 1989 local government reforms. The first mayor was Caryll Clausen, who had previously been on the Feilding Borough Council. Clausen was re-elected in the 1992 local elections and retired for the 1995 elections.{{cite web

|title=Manawatu District Council - Roll of Members

|url= http://www.mdc.govt.nz/files/bf179a32-e0aa-47fa-8aa2-a07500f45d15/MDC_Roll_of_Members_Register_with_former_LAs_from_1_November_1989.pdf

|publisher=Manawatū District Council

|accessdate=21 February 2013

|format=PDF}} In the 1995 Birthday Honours, she was awarded an MBE for services to local body and community affairs.{{cite web

|title = Queen's Birthday Honours List 1995

|url = http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/node/1068

|publisher = Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet

|accessdate = 21 February 2013

|url-status = dead

|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150114090556/http://www.dpmc.govt.nz/node/1068

|archive-date = 14 January 2015

|df = dmy-all}} (Clausen died on 19 March 2024.)

Rob Moodie, a former policeman, lawyer, and goat farmer, succeeded Clausen in the 1995 local elections; he narrowly beat Audrey Severinsen, who became deputy mayor.{{cite news|title=Obituary: Audrey Severinsen|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3197228|accessdate=16 March 2015|work=The New Zealand Herald|date=22 February 2003}} Moodie served for one term and was defeated by Severinsen in the 1998 local elections. Severinsen resigned in 2002 due to ill health and died in February 2003.

Ian McKelvie succeeded Severinsen in a by-election in November 2002. After being elected to Parliament in the {{NZ election link|2011}}, he resigned from the mayoralty on 15 December 2011.{{cite press release |title=National Selects Ian Mckelvie As Rangitikei Candidate |url= http://www.voxy.co.nz/national/national-selects-ian-mckelvie-rangitikei-candidate/5/91057 |accessdate=21 February 2013 |date=30 May 2011 |publisher = Voxy.co.nz}}{{cite press release |title=Mayor's busy final week |url= http://infonews.co.nz/news.cfm?id=82467 |accessdate=21 February 2013 |date=14 December 2011 |publisher = Manawatū District Council }} Deputy Mayor Matt Bell was then acting mayor until a by-election held on 7 March 2012. The by-election was narrowly won by Margaret Kouvelis from Feilding, who beat councillor Steven Gibson by just 14 votes (3293 votes to 3279).{{cite news |last=Crosbie |first=Sandra |title=Mayor Kouvelis takes the reins |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/your-manawatu/feilding-herald/6580996/Mayor-Kouvelis-takes-the-reins |accessdate=21 February 2013 |newspaper=Manawatu Standard |date=15 March 2012}} Worboys won the 2016 election and is the current mayor of Manawatū District. She was re-elected in 2019.