4 November 2024

Hamilton’s next Mayor: Game is not over yet

Campaigning seriously this time, Lisa Lewis has been consistently expressing her discontentment at being excluded from debates repeatedly.

She wants people to give her a chance by electing her and not be judgmental.

“I will ensure reducing rate rises is my number one priority as Mayor”, Lisa says.

She would like to see the council work for all of the people in Hamilton, not just some. She cares for the city’s environment, would like to introduce ‘tuk tuk’ to ease congestion, and is keen to help homeless.

For the business owner, Mike West, the council’s “spending is growing faster than our ability to pay for it and must be addressed”.

“The Mayor and Councillors are “The Team” and represent you (the community). The team is the only thing that puts controls, limitations and performance measures in place, to keep the machine accountable and affordable, and it’s very important for you to elect the right team”, West told NewsViews.

He understands the stress caused by “rates continually rising well above inflation” and wants council to “remind itself that money comes mostly from the ratepayers.”

Jack Gielen, who raps and goes to campaign meetings with a broom ‘to remove the old boys’ network”, feels “we haven’t focused on real solutions and it’s all about money power”.

He told NewsViews, “No one (is) listening to the voice of the community. Social media has played a bigger part in this election but will it really bring a better voter turn out? If I am upset with anything it’s the staus quo, keeping a tight control of the voting system as per usual depending on the same old block voter turnout”.

When asked if he sees himself invited to the next mayoral debate of top four by polling, he replied, “Some of us may hold our own mayoralty meeting”.

Voter turnout could play a defining role & some of Andrew King’s critics fear it could go his way.

Casson, however, disagrees. “You never know how you have done until the last day but I have given it my all and the community response has been overwhelmingly positive.”

“(Without seeming to have a big head), with vote splitting I still consider myself a real chance for Mayor,” he adds. 

Results on Oct 17 will finally reveal if any of the currently labeled ‘forerunners’ emerges as a winner, or is it one of the other four who gets the top post.

Like the proverbial game of cricket, all is not lost until the last ball of the innings is bowled and played.

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