How Horowhenua District Council works

Political decision-making at the Horowhenua District Council is shared between the mayor and 12 councillors (our Governing Body). The Te Awahou Foxton Community Board represents and works as an advocate for the Foxton community.

Our model of local government helps meet both district and local needs, and gives Horowhenua the resources it needs to grow and develop.

Elected members

The mayor

Horowhenua has a mayor, elected by residents from across the district.

What the mayor does

The mayor leads our Governing Body.

The mayor’s responsibilities include:

  • promoting a vision for Horowhenua
  • providing leadership to achieve the vision
  • leading the development of council plans, policies and budgets
  • ensuring effective engagement between Horowhenua Council and the community.

The mayor also appoints the deputy mayor, establishes the committees of the governing body and appoints the committee chairs.

The mayor is elected by all Horowhenua voters and leads the Governing Body (Council).

Governing Body

The Governing Body focuses on the big picture and on district-wide strategic decisions.

The Governing Body consists of the mayor and 12 councillors, elected by voters from the five wards. You can view information about the wards on our Horowhenua District Wards page.

Committees

The Governing Body establishes committees to enable effective decision-making - view our Council & Committees page for more information.

Community Board – Te Awahou Foxton Community Board

Te Awahou Foxton Community Board represents the Foxton area and advocates on the residents' behalf on local issues, activities, and facilities.

The Community Board also elects a chairperson and a deputy chairperson.

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