Progress results show that independent candidate Karl Tiefenbacher is the front runner in the Wellington City Council by-election for the Pukehīnau/Lambton General Ward seat. Photo: Supplied
The owner of an ice cream and coffee chain who ran on the promise to stop wasteful spending is the provisional winner of a Wellington City Council by-election.
Polls to fill the vacant seat in the Pukehīnau/Lambton General Ward left empty by Green MP Tamatha Paul closed at midday on Saturday.
Progress results show that independent candidate Karl Tiefenbacher is the front runner, ahead of Green Party candidate Geordie Rogers by 621 votes.
Tiefenbacher is the founder of Kaffee Eis.
He told RNZ earlier this week that he was a centralist whose main policy was to "stop wasting money we don't have on things we don't need".
"For many years, we have been taking the money that we're meant to be putting into the pipes into other projects and that's obviously had detrimental effects."
Tiefenbacher said he was in favour of a "back-to-basics approach" to change the direction Wellington was heading in.
"We need to start investing our money in the things we really need to do."
A total of 7358 votes were cast by Friday night.
Nearly 800 ordinary voting papers were received this morning and these, along with about 650 special votes, remain to be counted.
The final election result will be formally declared by Wednesday.
