4.4.1 General overview – the mayor as “first among equals”

 

1. The mayor’s relationship with the other elected members can be described as “first among equals”.

2. The legal and democratic responsibility for the council’s governance is shared between the governing body and local boards [1]. The mayor is a member and the chair of the governing body but not of any local board. The mayor does not have executive powers to make decisions instead of the governing body or local boards, nor the power to prevent (or veto) governing body or local board decisions. 

3. The mayor is the council’s elected leader and has an important role in maintaining and coordinating its governance, including the shared relationship between the governing body and the local boards. The mayor has powers of influence and leadership to fulfil this role. The mayor may use these powers to obtain the support of elected members to achieve objectives that will contribute to his/her vision for Auckland [2]. 

4. The mayor is also the main representative of the council’s governance arm, internally and externally.

 

 

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