Newly elected Ōtaki Community Board member Jackie Elliott was officially sworn in at a brief ceremony during the meeting of the Board this week.
Ms Elliott was warmly received by many locals and was congratulated by Mayor Jenny Rowan and Board chair James Cootes. During public speaking Kāpiti councillor K Gurunathan wished Ms Elliott all the best and said her election was a clear message to Council that the public want to see changes. He urged the Mayor, councillors and community board members to work with Ms Elliott as she had been the people’s choice and the community had spoken.
Greater Wellington Regional Councillor Nigel Wilson added his congratulations to Ms Elliott and carried a message of best wishes from Regional Council chair Fran Wilde and fellow councillors.
Ms Elliott later said she was very grateful to the people of Ōtaki for the huge support she had received.
“I am looking forward to working with the board and making a positive contribution for the benefit of Ōtaki and indeed all of Kāpiti.”
Ms Elliott said Kāpiti faced many challenging issues and there was a great deal of work ahead.
“The whole political environment is in a state of flux at present. It is vital we work together to preserve local democracy and local decision making. There will be changes ahead and we will need to manage the processes well,” said Ms Elliott.
