They hope central government takes seriously prominent themes contained in a report released yesterday by an independent panel about the future of local government.
The report had 17 recommendations that covered challenges such as funding and how a strained sector might be reorganised and strengthened and offering suggestions such as 16-year-olds being allowed to vote and adoption of the single-transferable vote (STV) system.
One recommendation was changing the Local Government Act to recognise local government as a partner to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said change was needed in the way local government worked and the report recognised this.
"Local government is constrained in many ways in what it can do to further the interests of communities, and mayors and councillors up and down the country are frustrated at not being able to act fully on the things that are important to our districts and residents," Mr Kircher said.
"We have laws and responsibilities imposed upon us by Government without the funding to go with it.
"The financial system of rates is no longer fit for purpose to deliver community needs.
"And too much is controlled in Wellington when communities should be trusted to manage and deliver things themselves."
Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark agreed impositions from central government were often unhelpful.
Among the review panel’s recommendations were that the Crown pay rates and that the Cabinet should be required to consider the funding impact of decision-making on local government.
Mr Clark felt Southland had too many small councils and he could see merit in some streamlining, but did not endorse STV or 16-year-olds voting.
Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan said he was disillusioned after the way the Government had handled Three Waters reform.
He would wait to see what the Government’s response was to the report before paying much attention to things he could not control, he said.
The future shape of local government would be somewhat determined by "what drops out the back" of reform of Three Waters and resource management, Mr Cadogan said.
Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich said it was important for changes not to be mandated and for councils and communities to have the dominant voice in decisions.
"We also want to see a substantive response to this report from central government, and we understand this won’t occur before the October election."
Mr Radich was pleased to see recognition in the report of the need for greater levels of central funding for local government.
City councillor Steve Walker said it appeared implementation of some recommendations might depend on the outcome of the general election.
"Of immediate interest to me is the desire to entrench the purpose of local government, giving us a long-overdue opportunity to embed intergenerational wellbeing and local democracy into everything we do," he said.
Cr Walker said he liked the idea the Government should co-invest in social and civic infrastructure in the same way Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency did with roading and transport.
He hoped there was cross-party support for a four-year local electoral term, adopting STV across the country, lowering the threshold for establishment of Maori wards and lowering the voting age in local elections to 16.
Dunedin deputy mayor Sophie Barker said there was a lot to digest.
"We need to make sure local government is strong for the future and work on issues together."
