All three community boards in the Taieri area - Mosgiel Taieri, Saddle Hill and Strath Taieri - will have elections this October, compared with only one last time.
The number of candidates for the three boards increased from 19 in 2013 to 28 this time.
Retiring Mosgiel Taieri Community Board chairman Bill Feather said the number of candidates standing showed the community was taking a deeper interest in local issues.
The large increase in candidates was partly a result of community boards being under threat of being downsized or, in the case of Mosgiel Taieri, disbanded, during the representation review this triennium, Mr Feather said.
These changes were shot down by the Local Government Commission, but the number of people standing sent a message to the Dunedin City Council.
However, the security of community boards would largely depend on the efforts of board members in the six years before the next representation review.
The boards made a special effort this time to get more candidates to stand, and ''shoulder-tapped'' people who were seen as good for the role.
The ''passionate and productive'' work of the retiring chairman was acknowledged at his final board meeting.
At a meeting at the Mosgiel Service Centre on Tuesday,
the board approved a motion moved by councillor Kate Wilson to thank Mr Feather for the ''loyal and conscientious service'' he had given to the city of Dunedin as a member of the board since 2007 and as chairman for past six years.
-Additional reporting done by Shawn McAvinue
