Our communities need strong local voices. If you care about your place, your people, and the future of our district, this is your chance to lead positive change.
You don’t need to be a policy expert or public speaker — just someone who wants to represent your community and help shape decisions that matter.
Being an elected member on Council isn’t something you do on the side or just during office hours - it’s a full-time commitment. It’s a demanding public service position that requires ongoing dedication, flexibility, and responsiveness to the needs of the community, often meaning working evenings, weekends, and stepping up whenever your community needs you for the three year term.
There are a number of levels of representation opportunities within the Waikato District. You could choose to be a member of a Community Board or volunteer on one of our Community Committees in the District, which require less of a time commitment. Noting that even these roles still require attendance at regular meetings and workshops to provide feedback to Council on behalf of your community.
In the Waikato District, voters will elect 46 people in October 2025 to represent them.
Mayor (1 seat)
Councillors (13 seats across 10 wards)
Community Board Members (32 seats)
You can only stand for one Council ward.
You can stand for more than one community board but can only be elected to one. If elected to more than one, the highest-ranked result applies.
Read our candidate information handbook below to learn more about the ins and outs of standing for Council.
Every three years, before local council elections, we publish a Pre-election Report (PER). This report is required by law (under the Local Government Act 2002) and is designed to help you understand the key issues Council is facing and encourage discussion about them.
The report will help you understand what we do and what we deliver for our communities. It outlines the challenges we face and the actions we are already taking to address them, helping residents make informed decisions.
Read our 2025 Pre-election Report below.
LGNZ have additionally put together a free, easy-to-follow learning programme for anyone curious about life as an elected member. Whether you’re interested about local issues or wondering what the job involves, these resources are a great way to start.
It’s all online, free and open to everyone. You can find it on their website.
Come along to one of our candidate information sessions to find out what’s really involved in representing your community. You’ll learn about what the role requires, the nomination process and the ins and outs of what a mayor, councillor and community board member does.
Whether you’re a serious about standing or just curious about what’s involved, this is your chance to ask questions and get involved.
Be the tick!
If you’re thinking of running as the mayor, a councillor or community board member or want to learn more about what it takes to stand for Council, come along to our candidate information session in Ngaaruawaahia.
There’s no need to register, just come along! Doors open at 5.30pm.
Local voices, local decisions, local leadership.
We need everyday people with a heart for their community to stand in the 2025 local government elections and be the tick!
Our candidate information session in Te Kauwhata is a great no-pressure way to find out what being a mayor, councillor or community board member is really like.
Whether you’re seriously thinking of standing or are just curious, we’d love to see you there.
Have you ever thought ‘If I was on Council, I’d do things differently’?
Join us online for our final candidate information session to learn about the ins and outs of becoming an elected member and representing your local community.
Be the tick! Online link coming soon
Waikato District Council’s governance arm is made up of 46 elected members, comprising of the mayor, 13 councillors and 32 community board members. Candidates fill all these roles based on community votes, and all roles exist to serve the communities to which they have been elected.
These are paid roles and the salaries for each role is set by the Remuneration Authority and differ dependent on the level of responsibility and representation.
However, there are some distinct differences in the functions and responsibilities of each role.
The mayor is elected to lead the Waikato district for a three-year term, helping to shape the direction of the community during that time. Under the Local Government Act 2002, the mayor’s role is to provide leadership to fellow elected members, represent the community, and take on important civic duties.
This includes guiding the development of key council plans like the Annual Plan and the Long-Term Plan.
The mayor also has some specific powers, they can appoint the deputy mayor, set up council committees, choose who chairs them, and take part in any committee as a member.
Councillors are elected for a three-year term to represent and lead their communities. There’s no formal job description, but the role is all about big picture thinking - setting policies, making important decisions, and keeping an eye on how the council is performing.
While councillors are elected from specific wards, once they’re at the council table, their main responsibility is to do what’s best for the whole Waikato District, not just their local area.
Community board members are elected to represent local interests and act as a bridge between the community and the Council. These boards were set up to make sure local voices are heard and people have a say on the issues that matter most to them.
If you’re thinking about standing in the local elections but aren’t quite ready to take on the full role of a councillor, running for your local community board is a great way to get involved and make a real difference.
These skills help ensure that elected members can effectively serve their communities and contribute to the governance and development of their local areas.
You’ll need:
If you have questions, ask us. We respond to all candidate queries in a transparent way.
We treat them like LGOIMA requests (Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act). This means:
Is the information on this page helpful?
Last updated 30 June 2025, 03:23 pm
Use the Antenno app to tell us about things that need our attention, like potholes, graffiti, or broken streetlights.
More about Antenno