Podcast: German lessons for NZ councils: How merging mayor and CEO roles transformed local government
Dr Oliver Hartwich
Nick Clark
17 October, 2024
In this episode, Oliver and Nick talk to Oliver Wittke, former mayor of Gelsenkirchen. They discuss a significant local government reform in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, that could offer valuable insights for New Zealand's current system.
The German state transitioned from a model similar to New Zealand's current setup - with separate mayor and chief executive roles - to a unified, directly elected mayoral position with executive powers, a change that has been widely regarded as successful and could inform potential reforms in New Zealand's local government structure.
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