{"id":40936,"date":"2025-09-24T16:04:34","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T16:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/40936\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T16:04:34","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T16:04:34","slug":"sunlive-why-a-19-year-old-wants-to-be-mayor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/40936\/","title":{"rendered":"SunLive – Why a 19-year-old wants to be mayor"},"content":{"rendered":"

Local body elections are under way and eight hopefuls are vying for the Western Bay of Plenty\u2019s top job. Local Democracy Reporting quizzed the mayoral candidates about key issues ahead of the October 11 election. We will publish those stories over the coming days.<\/p>\n

Quick Bio<\/p>\n

Name: Danielle Borell-Faa\u2019soo<\/p>\n

Age: 19<\/p>\n

Resides: Auckland<\/p>\n

Profession: Unemployed, looking at study options<\/p>\n

Political party affiliations: None<\/p>\n

The council\u2019s youngest candidate, 19-year-old Danielle Borell-Faa\u2019soo wants to be Western Bay of Plenty\u2019s<\/a> mayor to inspire other rangatahi (youth).<\/p>\n

\u201cI want people my age to learn about how they have voices too, and how they shouldn\u2019t be afraid to speak up to older people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Borell-Faa\u2019soo is also running in the Kaimai ward and said she would move from Auckland to the district if she was elected.<\/p>\n

She previously lived in Whakam\u0101rama for a year, with her aunty Suaree Borell \u2212 who is also running for mayor \u2212 and attended Tauranga Girls\u2019 College.<\/p>\n

\"Banner\"<\/p>\n

Borell-Faa\u2019soo\u2019s three priorities as mayor were water infrastructure, the Te Puna industrial park <\/a>and roads.<\/p>\n

The decisions around how water was used and where were far-reaching and had impacts across council<\/a> functions, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWithout water you can\u2019t build communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ask what she would do about roads and the industrial park, she said: \u201cI don\u2019t really know.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her long-term goal for the district was to stop spending council funds on \u201cout-of-date\u201d consultants who did not know how to talk to communities.<\/p>\n

Asked for a nice-to-have on her agenda, Borell-Faa\u2019soo said to become mayor and for other rangatahi to \u201chave a turn\u201d as well.<\/p>\n

\"Danielle

\nDanielle Borell-Faa\u2019soo wants to change the Western Bay’s roads because there is too much traffic. Photo \/ Alex Cairns<\/p>\n

\u201cI want people not to judge 18-year-olds and up [older] for just doing the adult stuff.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also said she wanted to change the roads in the Western Bay because \u201cthere\u2019s so much crashes and traffic going between roadworks\u201d which was \u201creally bad for people\u201d.<\/p>\n

Borell-Faa\u2019soo was open to discussion about amalgamating with other councils because she believed fewer councillors would mean fewer costs and the sharing of resources and investments could make things cheaper.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am open to that discussion with the view that community being engaged from the outset.\u201d<\/p>\n

She supports M\u0101ori wards for councils because \u201cnobody loses\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important for representative democracy and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked what needed to be included in a regional deal with the Government for her to support it, Borell-Faa\u2019soo asked to skip the question.<\/p>\n

Voting is open until midday October 11.<\/p>\n

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.<\/p>\n

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