Nelson's mayor Rachel Reese has announced she will not be seeking re-election this year, after serving three terms as mayor.
Rachel Reese says she is still passionate about local government. Photo: RNZ / Tracy Neal
Reese has spent 15 years as an elected member on Nelson City Council, three as deputy mayor and nine as mayor, but said it was time to step down.
"It is a big decision but it's the right decision for me. I've thoroughly enjoyed being the mayor of Nelson and serving this community for the last 15 years as an elected member, but it's time for me to make some choices in my life that are right for me and right for my family."
She said there were lots of achievements over the last nine years that she was proud of, including the redevelopment of the Nelson Centre of Musical Arts and the Suter Gallery, the earthquake-strengthening of the Trafalgar Centre, alongside hosting the All Blacks, Silver Ferns and Black Caps and other cultural and musical events in the city.
Reese felt particularly positive about the region's stance on climate change, with Nelson City Council the first to declare a climate emergency in 2019.
"We've made a good start on progress around climate change, whether that is emissions reduction or adaptation, but there is a whole lot more to do.
"What we have done is laid the foundation for the community working together on those issues and I look forward to seeing more happen because we need to make more happen over the next few years."
Reese said there was still plenty of work to do before the local body elections in October.
"I think one of the things that you recognise as mayor is that the to do list is never completed. So I'm looking at that now and working out how much I can get done between now in October. I want to make sure that I'm leaving things as tidy as I can for the incoming mayor."
Reese said she was hoping to have a bit of break after stepping down from the role, and was looking forward to walking in Nelson's hills, reading books rather than council papers and considering where the future would take her.
"I've still got an absolute passion for local government and for the Te Tauihu community so I hope to be able to support the community in some way in the future."
She was appreciative of the support of the Nelson community during her time as mayor.
"I'm really grateful also to the people who have worked with me, both around the council table, the council staff and my friends and family who I really couldn't have done this job without, whether that is through their support in election campaigns or just keeping me absolutely grounded."
She was looking forward to seeing who would be elected as the next mayor of Nelson and hoped the role would be contested.
"We've got a community that is fairly engaged in local body elections. But this year is going to be even more so with electing a new mayor, moving to STV voting, having wards and a Māori ward for the first time so it's going to be a very interesting election."
Councillor Rohan O'Neill-Stevens announced earlier this month he would be standing for the mayoralty in Nelson.
O'Neill-Stevens is a qualified resource management commissioner and was elected to the council in 2019 when he was 19 years old.