The Mayor of Manawatu officiates over the Manawatu District of New Zealand, which is administered by the Manawatu District Council (MDC). The role was created in 1989 with the formation of the Manawatu District. The current mayor, Margaret Kouvelis from Feilding, was first elected in a by-election in March 2012 and is the fifth holder of the position.
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Map of Manawatu District, Manawatu-Wanganui, New Zealand
History
Manawatu District was formed through the amalgamation of the former Feilding Borough, Kiwitea County, Manawatu District, Oroua County and Pohangina County Councils in the 1989 local government reforms. The first mayor was Caryll Lydia Mary Clausen, who had previously been on the Feilding Borough Council. Clausen was re-elected in the 1992 local elections and retired for the 1995 elections. In the 1995 Birthday Honours, Clausen was awarded an MBE for services to local body and community affairs.
Rob Moodie, a former policeman, lawyer, and goat farmer, succeeded Clausen in the 1995 local elections; he narrowly beat Audrey Severinsen, who became deputy mayor. Moodie served for one term and was defeated by Severinsen in the 1998 local elections. Severinsen resigned in 2002 due to ill health and died in December 2003.
Ian McKelvie succeeded Severinsen in a by-election in November 2002. After being elected to Parliament in the 2011 election, he resigned from the mayoralty on 15 December 2011. Deputy Mayor Matt Bell was then acting mayor until a by-election held on 7 March 2012. The by-election was narrowly won by Margaret Kouvelis from Feilding, who beat councillor Steven Gibson by just 14 votes (3293 votes to 3279). Kouvelis is the current mayor of the district.
List of Mayors of Manawatu
The following list shows the five Mayors of Manawatu: