Waikanae resident Michelle Lewis is one of six candidates contesting the Kāpiti mayoralty.
“Born in the UK, I moved to Kāpiti in 2007. With qualifications in Economics and Transport, I’ve been successful in both public and private sectors. I’m an active community volunteer creating new public events alongside teaching dance to special needs adults. I’m a successful small business owner on the coast.
“I speak up. I challenge. I look for different ways of delivering outcomes. I’m a strategic thinker that is hands on and solution driven. I will get projects delivered to a high standard and ensure the community is kept better informed about what is happening in their neighbourhood,” says Ms Lewis.
“Last year, with a 1,100-signature petition, I was successful in getting council to look at alternative approaches to waste management for Waikanae. Taking different approaches to delivery of projects through use of the skills within our community will remain a key element of the change I wish to see over the next three years.”
Ms Lewis says her 20 year professional career has been in or for local government on strategy, governance and project monitoring. She held national advisory roles in transport and urban design and was a senior manager in the housing sector.
“I have listened to the community over recent years and have heard they want change on council. Having worked at council as the Road Asset Manager I have a working knowledge of the management side of council which will be invaluable in critically analysing information presented to council. During my time there we made significant improvements to pedestrian and cycle facilities and worked closely with the community to deliver to their needs.
“One area of focus will be on business cases to manage risk and ensure due diligence is applied to future investments. I have a critical eye for detail and seek clear evidence based answers to my questions.
“We have a lot happening in Kāpiti and we are not always resourced to deliver at the pace the community expect. Alongside fellow elected members I will need to consider what work can stop, what can slow down and what needs to speed up.”
Ms Lewis says many times low cost solutions can deliver higher value than large investments yet don’t get the attention they deserve.
“Being smarter with our solutions for the future will be a focus for me. I’d like to see different ways to deliver projects being adopted as standard practice. I’m particularly interested in our future generation and look forward to listening and acting on their feedback so the team at council can deliver better outcomes for everyone.”