First-term councillor Lydia Gliddon to contend Selwyn mayoralty

Thursday, 8 May 2025

From left, first-term Selwyn District councillor Lydia Gliddon has announced she will stand for mayor against three-term incumbent mayor Sam Broughton.

A first time councillor has announced she will take on a Selwyn’s mayor of nine years for the top spot at the district council.

Lydia Gliddon, a first time councillor for Tawera Malvern Ward, announced her bid for mayoralty.

The Sheffield-based farmer took on the councillor job to boost the voice of rural folk, but decided it was time to raise the voices of all communities in the district who felt they were unheard.

She is going up against incumbent mayor Sam Broughton who has led the council for the past nine years.

Broughton understood some decisions made over the past year, such as the choice to move wastewater and drinking water services to a council controlled organisation (CCO), were not favourable to some residents, but he stood by the decision as one that would set up the district for the future.

Selwyn District Councillor Lydia Gliddon says she wants to strengthen te community’s trust in the council.

“We’ve got to be thinking not just about what we’re doing now, but how we’re preparing ourselves for years to come.”

That vote split the council, with Gliddon voting against the CCO to keep water services in house in line with the majority of consultation feedback.

Gliddon announced her mayoral bid saying Selwyn deserved “leadership that listens, empowers, and delivers”.

She has been outspoken about the council’s lack of transparency in the long term plan and decision-making that had left some people in the district feeling unheard and sidelined.

Selwyn District Council Mayor Sam Broughton says he is looking forward to the election.

“Families and businesses are under pressure, and the expect council to take a responsible, disciplined approach to spending.

“Fiscal responsibility isn’t just about cutting costs - it’s about making sure every dollar delivers real value, that we invest in the right priorities, and that growth pays for growth.”

Broughton said he did not have any key points he would be entering the mayoral race with, rather he was committed to continuing to build on work he had done for the last nine years he had been mayor of Selwyn.

“I’m not bringing the two or three things I must get done in this term, it’s about being a good leader and listening to a range of voices in our really diverse community.

“So much of that is about making sure the roads and the water supplies and the waste water is all dealt with in a manner that people can get on with their job or with their sport or education, and just get on with living the life they want without having to complain or be worried about the basic infrastructure of a community.

“I’m proud of the work I’ve done over the past nine years and I’m looking forward to continuing with that with whoever’s elected at the next election.”

Local government elections will take place in October.