5.2 Local board meetings and decision-making

Local board business meetings

Local boards make their decisions at formal public business meetings. These meetings are advertised publicly, and members of the public are welcome and encouraged to attend [1]. Most local boards hold one formal business meeting a month. 

These meetings are run under the Standing Orders of each board [2]. Standing orders set out the meeting rules and cover such issues as how the meeting will be chaired, the quorum required, how debates operate and a number of other rules to help meetings run smoothly, efficiently and effectively. A formal vote is always required, even where the board is in consensus. 

All business meetings have a formal agenda which sets out the subjects being discussed at the meeting. For everything other than procedural items each agenda item is accompanied by a written report. There are three ways that reports can arise: 

• through the local board asking for a report 
• through the chief executive (or delegate, such as local-area manager) arranging for a report 
• through the chair or portfolio holder providing a report. 

These reports set out the issues under consideration, provide analysis and consideration of options, give advice on the various decisions to be made, and provide staff recommendations. After debating issues, a board will make decisions by passing formal resolutions. These resolutions are recorded in formal minutes which are confirmed for accuracy at the next scheduled meeting. 

In its decision-making, a local board must comply with Part 6 of the Local Government Act 2002 as if it is “local authority”. To meet the requirements of the Act, elected members should expect reports and advice that: 

• identifies options to achieve the objective of the decision 
• includes an assessment of the pros and cons of these options 
• incorporates engagement with Māori with respect to significant decisions in relation to land or a body of water and 
• includes consideration of the views and preferences of those affected by or who have an interest in the decision. 

There are other legislative requirements and legal principles that apply to local board decision-making. Auckland Council requires its staff to meet the council's Quality Advice Standards [3]. 

The staff support required to enable local boards to meet these requirements depends on the circumstances. The council’s Significance and Engagement Policy applies to decisions made by local boards. For a detailed explanation of the council’s approach to consultation and engagement, check How the council makes decisions. 

Only matters on the agenda can be discussed; this is an important component in transparency and the public’s ability to hold board members accountable. Items not on the agenda are an exception to this and is permitted only for issues that are urgent and where a decision cannot wait until the next scheduled meeting [4]. 

Standing orders provide for members of the public to present petitions, make deputations or address the board on an issue of concern. The practice for dealing with petitions, deputations and public forum session in meetings varies between boards. 

A board may delegate responsibilities, decisions, duties and powers to a member of the local board to aid efficient and effective conduct of business. 

Non-decision-making meetings

Workshops

Local boards also hold workshops. Workshops do not have decision-making authority. They are informal forums held primarily for information or discussion purposes: they are used to canvass issues, prepare local board members for upcoming decisions and to enable free and frank discussion between elected members and staff. 

Workshops for groups of local boards can be held giving local boards the chance to work together on common interests or topics. Decisions cannot be made at a workshop. All decisions are made at a formal business meeting. 

Chairs’ Forum

Local board chairs meet regularly at the Chairs’ Forum to consider a range of issues relevant to all boards. The forum is not a decision-making body. 

The Chairs’ Forum is not set up as a formal decision-making body. However, from time to time, local boards may delegate decision-making authority to chairs, as appropriate to work with other chairs at the Chairs’ Forum to make collective decisions that affect all local boards. An example of such a decision is the selection of a single local board representative to fill a seat reserved for Auckland’s 21 local boards on the Local Government New Zealand National Council. 

Political working parties 

Sometimes, political working parties comprising local board members and/or Governing Body members are established to consider an issue in more depth. Typically these are for issues that need ongoing oversight or to develop feedback on a particular topic. Any issues requiring decisions will be made at the relevant business meeting. 

Meetings, quorum and attendance 

Most boards schedule one formal business meeting a month for the months February to December. Extraordinary meetings may be scheduled to consider an issue that cannot wait until the next monthly business meeting. As noted previously the time and location of these meetings is publicly advertised and members of the public are welcome to attend. 

Requirements for a quorum and local board member attendance are the same as for the Governing Body. For more information, visit Meeting procedures.

Voting and decisions  

All decisions of the local board are made by voting on resolutions or procedural motions. A resolution is a statement setting out a draft board opinion or decision, whereas a procedural motion is a resolution requiring a particular course of action to be taken under Standing Orders. Both resolutions and motions need to be proposed by one board member and seconded by another before they can be considered. 

A simple majority [5] of the elected members present and voting must support a resolution before it is passed. All elected board members have one vote. Additionally, the chairperson has a casting vote in the event of a tied vote. Conventionally, the chairperson will use their casting vote to support the status quo, however this convention is not a requirement in standing orders. There are three ways in which a decision on a vote may be taken: 

• On the voices – members supporting a resolution say “aye”, and those opposing say “no”. The chairperson will call the result based on the number of voices in each camp. 
• A show of hands – members are asked to hold their hands up if they support or oppose a resolution 
• By division – a division can be called by the chair or any member. Under this system the vote of each member supporting or opposing a resolution is recorded (a second division can be called in the event of confusion). 

Meeting minutes will record if a resolution or motion is carried or lost. With a division, the minutes will record the names of those who supported or opposed the resolution and whether it was carried or lost. 

Members are able to abstain from voting and may, if they choose, have their abstention recorded in the minutes. A member may also have their vote recorded against a resolution. 

Where members have a conflict of interest it needs to be declared. In these circumstances members are recommended to withdraw from the debating table and can no longer take part in debate on the item. However, their presence is counted for the purposes of the quorum. 

Confidentiality

One of the foundations of local government is openness and transparency. As a general principle all local board elected members are entitled to have access to all information, for which there is good reason to have such access [6]. This access enables local board elected members to properly discharge their duties. 

Some information needs to be kept confidential, where good reason exists under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA). 

While most decisions of a local board are taken in public, there are some reasons under LGOIMA which allow the public to be excluded from part of a meeting to enable a confidential item to be discussed. 

Under their Code of Conduct all local board elected members are expected to not disclose confidential information (whether or not it is subject to a resolution to exclude the public at a formal board meeting). Failure to observe this requirement may expose the council to litigation. It may also inhibit information flows and undermine confidence in the council. 

Agendas and minutes [h2] 

Decision-making by local boards is based on a formal agenda and the associated reports. Records of attendance and the decisions taken are also kept in the form of minutes. Access to these documents is provided in a number of ways: 

• Elected members are provided with electronic versions of each agenda, associated reports and subsequent minutes. 
• Staff can access agendas, reports and minutes through the internal Infocouncil system or the internet. 
• The public can access copies of agendas, reports and minutes at libraries and council public officeshe council also publishes all agendas, reports and minutes on its website.  

For further information on agendas and minutes for key meetings, see agendas and minutes on Auckland Council's website.  

Footnotes

[1] An exception to this rule is for a small number of agenda items where grounds exist to lawfully exclude the public under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act and the meeting has resolved in public that such grounds exist. 

[2] Each board adopts its own standing orders. There are some minor differences between the standing orders of differing boards. 

[3] Attached document below 

[4] See Chapter 18 Official Information for more information on items not on the agenda and extraordinary meetings. 

 [5] N.B. the election of the chairperson at the beginning of the electoral term can use one of two differing systems to help ensure that the chairperson elect has the support of the majority of the board members. 

 [6] Elected Members Code of Conduct Section 7.6 Confidential Information.