Second term Upper Hutt City Councillor Angela McLeod is bidding to be the next Mayor.
McLeod said incumbent Mayor Wayne Guppy has done a good job but it’s time for fresh eyes, fresh thinking and fresh energy.
“Times change, and it’s definitely time for a change in Upper Hutt,” she said.
“We can do much better as a city and as a community with fresh leadership.”
McLeod, who lives in Whiteman’s Valley, has been a Councillor for close to six years. She says Upper Hutt is in danger of becoming stale however the city has considerable potential that just needs to be better leveraged.
“I definitely think we can do better as a community. For starters, we need an economic development strategy that will fill our empty shops, bring businesses back to our city and create jobs for our residents.
“We need to take the lead in sorting out the transport infrastructure that connects us to Wellington, the hospital and the airport. We are getting strangled because of transport bottlenecks that are not of our making, but which affect each and every one of us.”
She also lists initiatives to enhance community resilience and environmental preservation, and more effort to include the city’s young people in community decision-making as her other three priorities.
“Upper Hutt’s a great place and I’m proud to call it home.
“But we can do better as a community.
“Wayne has built a strong foundation – now it is time to step it up a gear,” says Mrs McLeod.