Local election nominations for Stratford District Council closed today at 12noon, with candidates making a stand across all wards. A final list of nominations will be available online at stratford.govt.nz this evening.

Chief Executive Sven Hanne is pleased to see people stepping up for the community. “Being on Council is a real privilege. Elected members get to be the voice for others, share ideas and make decisions, with the best intentions for the future of our district in mind,” he says.

“Local government is directly involved in the day-to-day happening within your local community. It shapes where you live, from helping you get to where you need to go to providing spaces for connection and creativity. So, it’s important to have people around the room who have a passion to see the district thrive,” says Mr Hanne.

Now that nominations have closed, the next opportunity for people to make their mark on the district is by voting.

At the time of this update, an election will be held for the Stratford Rural General Ward only, giving rural residents the opportunity to help decide who best represents them.

There are the same number of candidates as there are seats available for the Mayor (1), Stratford Māori Ward (1) and Stratford Urban General Ward (6), therefore at this stage they will not require an election.

Voting in this year’s local body election is by post, with voting documents being delivered to enrolled voters from 16 September. Voting closes at 12 noon on 8 October.

Opportunities for the community to meet and learn about candidates will be available in the coming weeks.

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