Mayor of Tauranga facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mayor of Tauranga
Coat of arms of Tauranga
Incumbent n/a since 2 August 2024
Style	His/Her Worship
Seat	Tauranga
Term length	3 years, renewable
Formation	1882
First holder	George Vesey Stewart
Deputy	Jen Scoular
Salary	$172,918
Website	Official website: https://www.tauranga.govt.nz/council/about-your-council/mayor-and-councillors

The Mayor of Tauranga is the main leader of the local government in Tauranga, New Zealand. Tauranga is the fifth-largest city in New Zealand. The mayor leads the Tauranga City Council, which is like the city's main decision-making group.

The mayor is chosen by the people of Tauranga through a special voting system. This system is called single transferable vote. The current mayor is Mahé Drysdale. He was chosen in the 2024 Tauranga local elections. Mayor Drysdale started his job on August 2, 2024.

How Tauranga Became a City

Tauranga started as a smaller town called a "borough" in 1882. As more people moved there, it grew bigger. By 1963, it had enough people to be called a "city."

In 1989, there were big changes to how local governments worked. Tauranga became part of a larger "Tauranga District." But later, in 2004, it became a city again.

How Mayors Are Elected

When Tauranga first had mayors in 1882, elections happened every year. This changed in 1915, and mayors were elected for two years. Since 1935, mayors have been elected for three-year terms. This is still how it works today.

For a long time, elections used a system called first-past-the-post voting. This means the person with the most votes wins. But for the 2016 election, they changed to the single transferable vote system. This system lets voters rank candidates in order of preference.

Famous Mayors of Tauranga

One of the mayors who served for a very long time was Canon Charles Jordan. He was mayor for nine years in total. He served during five different periods. There is a statue of him in Tauranga Domain. It was put there in 1916, after he passed away.

Another mayor, Tenby Powell, was elected in October 2019. He resigned in November 2020. This happened after some disagreements with the council. The Minister of Local Government decided to appoint a special group, called a Crown commission, to run the city instead of holding new elections. This decision caused some discussion.

The city council and mayor were brought back after the 2024 Tauranga local elections. That's when Mahé Drysdale was elected as the new mayor.

Past Mayors of Tauranga

Many people have served as mayor of Tauranga over the years. Here is a list of some of the past mayors and when they served.

Tauranga Borough Council (1882–1963)

	Mayor		Term
1		George Vesey Stewart	1882
2		Richard Coles Jordan	1882–1883
3		Thomas Wrigley	1883–1885
4		Charles Jordan	1885–1886
5		David Lundon	1886–1888
6		James Bodell	1888–1889
7		Robert Sharpe Galbraith	1889–1890
(5)		David Lundon	1890–1893
8		Richard John Gill	1893
9		Charles Angus Clarke	1893–1898
10		Gerard Arnold Ward	1898–1899
11		James Weir Gray	1899–1900
(4)		Charles Jordan	1900–1905
12		William McKenzie Commons	1906–1907
(4)		Charles Jordan	1907–1908
13		John Bull	1908–1909
(4)		Charles Jordan	1909–1910
(13)		John Bull	1910–1911
(4)		Charles Jordan	1911–1912
14		Benjamin Robbins	1912–1915
15		Charles Macmillan	1915–1917
16		John Cuthbert Adams	1917–1919
17		Bradshaw Dive	1919–1929
(14)		Benjamin Robbins	1929–1933
18		Alfred Francis Daly Tunks	1933–1935
19		Lionel Wilkinson	1935–1950
20		Bill Barnard	1950–1952
(19)		Lionel Wilkinson	1952–1956
21		David Mitchell	1956–1963

Tauranga City Council (2003–present)

	Mayor		Term
(27)		Jan Beange	2003–2004
28		Stuart Crosby	2004–2016
29		Greg Brownless	2016–2019
30		Tenby Powell	2019–2020
–	Replaced by Crown commission		2020–2024
31		Mahé Drysdale	2024–