Born and raised in Queenstown, Mr Mitchell said the district’s residents "deserve a council that is led and governed transparently, efficiently and effectively".
"They deserve leadership that puts our communities first.
"As a mayoral candidate, this is what I offer."
Mr Mitchell said he had 30 years’ experience in local government, economic and community development.
That included two years working for the council as its emergency management officer; a stint as the project manager for the South Island Alpine Fault earthquake response planning project AF8; the past three years as Response + Recovery Aotearoa’s deputy director; and roles as New Zealand Natural Hazards Inc co-chairman and a Shaping Our Future board member.
Along with standing for the Southland seat in the 2020 general election, he also ran for the Otago Regional Council in 2012.
Mr Mitchell said he had a background in adventure tourism and experience in disaster resilience, response and recovery management.
"Given the challenges of the past two years, if Queenstown Lakes ever needed disaster recovery leadership, it is now."
