Mayor of Marlborough, New Zealand

The Mayor of Marlborough officiates over the Marlborough District of New Zealand, which is administered by the Marlborough District Council, with Blenheim as its main town. The role was created as a result of the 1989 local government reforms, when Blenheim Borough was amalgamated with Picton Borough, and Marlborough County to form Marlborough District.

The current mayor, Nadine Taylor, was first elected to the position in 2022.[1]

Taylor is the seventh person to hold this role. All former mayors are living.

History

Marlborough District was formed through the 1989 local government reform, when many counties and boroughs were amalgamated throughout New Zealand. Marlborough District's predecessors were Blenheim Borough, Picton Borough, and Marlborough County Council. Formed in 1869, Blenheim Borough had 31 mayors.[2] Picton Borough goes back to 1876 and had 23 mayors.[3] Marlborough County goes back to 1923 and had 11 council chairmen.[2]

The last Mayor of Blenheim, Leo McKendry, was the first Mayor of Marlborough, serving two terms (1989–1995).[2] Liz Davidson was the first woman mayor and served in that role from 1995 to 1998. Between 1983 and her retirement in 2010, she served a total of 27 years on local bodies.[4]

Davidson was succeeded in her mayoralty by Gerald Hope, who served for one term (1998–2001).[2] Hope became well known nationally in early 1998 for the disappearance of his daughter and her friend, a murder for which Scott Watson was convicted.[5][6] Hope was successfully challenged by councillor Tom Harrison in 2001, who served one term until 2004.[2] Hope was elected as a district councillor in 2004.[7]

Alistair Sowman served one term on the district council from 2001 before being first elected mayor in 2004.[8] He announced in November 2012 that he would contest the mayoralty again in October 2013.[9]

Harrison, Hope, and Davidson all served as district councillors after having been mayors, and all three failed to get re-elected in the 2010 local election, after former mayor McKendry stated early in the election campaign that past mayors should not stand again as councillors.[10]

All former mayors are living.[10]

List of mayors of Marlborough

The following list shows the mayors of Marlborough:

Name Term
1 Leo McKendry 1989–1995
2 Liz Davidson 1995–1998
3 Gerald Hope 1998–2001
4 Tom Harrison 2001–2004
5 Alistair Sowman 2004–2016
6 John Leggett 2016–2022
7 Nadine Taylor 2022–present

Notes
  1. "Marlborough Councillors". marlborough.govt.nz. Marlborough District Council.
  2. Brooks 2011, p. 494.
  3. Brooks 2011, p. 493.
  4. Bell, Cathie (4 September 2012). "Pocket park 'a fitting tribute' to region's first woman mayor". The Marlborough Express. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  5. Bingham, Eugene (13 September 1999). "Bright lights, young love and fate's hand". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  6. Milne, Rebecca (15 March 2009). "Pardon plea from Watson". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
  7. Connell, Claire (9 August 2010). "Four more in council race". The Marlborough Express. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  8. "Alistair Sowman". The Marlborough Express. 6 September 2010. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  9. Pickford, Kat (2 November 2012). "Mayor puts hand up for fourth term". The Marlborough Express. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  10. Connell, Claire (12 October 2010). "Rates, sewerage, car park factors". The Marlborough Express. Retrieved 1 March 2013.

References
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