Desley Simpson Auckland's new deputy mayor

Ōrākei Ward councillor Desley Simpson has today been named as the new deputy mayor of Auckland, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown has announced.

“Desley is both my choice for deputy mayor and is overwhelmingly supported by members of the new Governing Body who I have been working with and consulting with over the last three weeks,” Brown said in a media release.

“She is universally admired for her integrity, professionalism and loyalty, and her ability to get things done through the council bureaucracy and committee processes."

Brown acknowledged Simpson as a "highly regarded" regional leader with a "broad Auckland-wide perspective while also having the greatest support from her own community of any councillor on the Governing Body, with nearly 25,000 personal votes".

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Simpson said she is "excited by the opportunity" to work alongside Brown to "help deliver on his mandate for change from 181,810 Auckland voters and to work with their colleagues to help them deliver on their priorities too".

“I back the mayor’s strong stance on issues, including delivering more efficiencies and savings to keep rates as low as possible as Aucklanders face the looming economic and fiscal storm,” she said.