# Palmerston North City Council

The Palmerston North City Council is the territorial authority for the city of Palmerston North in New Zealand.
The council is made up of a mayor elected at-large and 15 councillors, with 13 elected from a city-wide general ward (Te Hirawanui Ward) and 2 from a city-wide Māori ward (Te Pūao Ward). They are elected using a single transferable voting system in triennial elections, with the most recent elections having been held in 2022.
The current mayor is Grant Smith.

## History

Local Government in Palmerston North began with the formation of a town board and a local board within Wellington Province in 1876,. When the provinces were dissolved in 1876, Palmerston North became part of the newly established Manawatū County.
An independent borough council for Palmerston North was proclaimed on 12 July 1877, splitting from Manawatū County. The first borough council consisted of nine councillors, and George Matthew Snelson was elected unopposed to be the first Mayor of Palmerston North on 9 August 1877.
It went on to be raised to city-status on 11 August 1930, becoming New Zealand's 7th city.
The boundaries of the city went on to be expanded to include parts of Awapuni (in April 1953), Highbury (in April 1961), and Amberley, Aokautere, Kelvin Grove, Milson and further parts of Awapuni (in September 1967).
The local elections of 1962 returned the first woman and first Māori councillors to the city council.
Following the local government reforms of 1989, the city council's boundaries were again extended to include Ashhurst, Linton and Turitea through amalgamation of parts of the former Kairanga County, Oroua County and Ashhurst Town Council.
On 1 July 2012, Bunnythorpe, Longburn, part of the area around Kairanga and an area around Ashhurst were transferred from the Manawatū District to Palmerston North City.
In 2017 the council voted to create a Māori ward, but the decision was overturned by a city-wide referendum in May 2018.
In 2021, Palmerston North City Council again voted to establish a Māori ward following the passing of the Local Electoral (Māori Wards and Māori Constituencies) Amendment Act 2021.

## Composition
### Councillors

The elected mayor and councillors provide governance for the city by setting the policy direction of the council, monitoring its performance, representing the city's interests, and employing the Chief Executive.
The Chief Executive runs the everyday business of the council. The Chief Executive is currently Waid Crockett.
Palmerston North City Council, 2022–2025 :
| Position | Name | Ward | Ticket (if any) |
| Mayor | Grant Smith | At-large | Independent |
| Deputy Mayor | Debi Marshall-Lobb | Te Pūao | |
| Councillor | Billy Meehan | Te Hirawanui | Independent |
| Councillor | Brent Barrett | Te Hirawanui | Green |
| Councillor | Karen Naylor | Te Hirawanui | Independent |
| Councillor | Kaydee Zabelin | Te Hirawanui | Green |
| Councillor | Leonie Hapeta | Te Hirawanui | |
| Councillor | Lew Findlay | Te Hirawanui | Independent |
| Councillor | Lorna Johnson | Te Hirawanui | Labour |
| Councillor | Mark Arnott | Te Hirawanui | |
| Councillor | Orphée Mickalad | Te Hirawanui | Independent |
| Councillor | Patrick Handcock | Te Hirawanui | Independent |
| Councillor | Rachel Bowen | Te Hirawanui | Independent |
| Councillor | Roly Fitzgerald | Te Pūao | |
| Councillor | Vaughan Dennison | Te Hirawanui | |
| Councillor | William Wood | Te Hirawanui | |

## Civic symbols
### Coat of arms

Palmerston North City Council was granted an official Coat of Arms in 1989, incorporating elements of the council's previous unofficial coat of arms which had been in use since 1885. The arms contain several visual puns on the name of the city. A description of the arms is:
Coat of arms of Palmerston North :
* CrestOn top of a mural crown, the crest is a red lion passant with blue tongue and claws holding a scallop shell (taken from the badge of a palmer) in its right paw, framed by palm fronds.
* EscutcheonThe shield of the coat of arms of Palmerston North is gold on the left and blue on the right and having a bordure which is blue on the left and gold on the right. On the left side of the shield is a blue eagle with its wings displayed, having a red tongue and claws, and wearing a gold crown. On the right side of the shield is a gold tower.
* SupportersFor supporters, on the left side is a Māori chief (modelled on Te Peeti Te Aweawe) representing the tangata whenua and on the right is a European woman in early to mid-19th Century domestic working dress representing the European settlers.
* MottoPalmam qui meruit ferat ("Let him, who has earned it, bear the palm") (the motto of Lord Nelson)

### Flag

The flag of the Palmerston North City Council consists of the coat of arms on a white field. There have been suggestions to change the flag to better represent the city.