The Good, The Bad and The Ugly: Strategic Managerial/Political Relationships in Local Government

Using data from interviews with local government CEOs, mayors and deputy mayors in New Zealand’s nine biggest local authorities outside of Auckland. This paper examines the complex political and managerial relationships... [ view full abstract ]

Using data from interviews with local government CEOs, mayors and deputy mayors in New Zealand’s nine biggest local authorities outside of Auckland. This paper examines the complex political and managerial relationships which exist at the apex of our major metropolitan councils. The key findings are that each player has a distinct role to play, and that these roles can compliment each other if each player abides by the (un)written rules of the game. One significant outcome is that the deputy mayor appears to have equal stature to the mayor in each council, and that this deputy mayoral role is crucial in ensuring smooth operation of political machinery within the organisation – irrespective of mayoral leadership.