PIRIMAI FACEBOOK GROUP ELECTS TABBY CAT UNOFFICIAL MAYOR, ACTUAL MAYOR NOT YET INFORMED
The cat got 847 votes. The nearest human candidate got a laughing emoji and a comment about the roundabout.
A ginger tabby named Kevin has been declared unofficial Mayor of Pirimai after winning a Facebook poll in the neighbourhood group. Admins are calling the margin "a bit rude to the humans who also stood."
Kevin, who lives on Sandown Road and answers to no-one, secured 847 votes. The poll was originally meant to decide the group's cover photo. Someone added Kevin as an option at 9pm Wednesday. By Thursday lunchtime it was over.
Owner Denise Palmer, 58, said she'd only found out when a neighbour brought round a homemade sash. "He was asleep on the deck. I put it on him. He didn't wake up. That's his whole campaign, really. He turns up, he sleeps, everyone loves him."
Runner-up Yvonne, a real woman who'd been quietly campaigning about the Latham Street verge, said she was "not bitter, just disappointed in democracy." She added that Kevin had never attended a residents' meeting and had weed on her hydrangeas in February.
A Napier City Council spokesperson said they were "unaware of a mayoral vacancy" and that the actual mayor remained the actual mayor. Asked about Kevin, they said: "We don't comment on cats."
Kevin has since been photographed on the bonnet of a Corolla wearing his sash. Admins are now taking nominations for Deputy. A bull terrier called Trevor is leading.
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Reader Letters
Trev_Hornby
Kevin for PM!
Sandra_But_Furious
This really grinds my gears. We can't elect a cat for Mayor, unofficial or not! What's next? Dogs running the city council? It's pure madness. Where's the respect for real, hardworking candidates like Yvonne? Seems like Pirimai is taking a piss-taking approach to serious matters. Ridiculous.
napier_jokester
Mate, lighten up. It's just a bit of fun on Facebook. No one's actually handing Kevin the keys to the city. It's a reflection of community spirit, not a comment on democracy. Anyway, bloody glad it's not another argument about that roundabout.
ropeable_dave
Mate, that's not the point. It's just a laugh, no need to take it so seriously. No one's getting munted over a tabby and a sash.
catlover_k8
Doesn't everyone know Facebook polls aren't binding? It's just a bit of fun. But hey, hats off to Kevin for bringing some cheer. I reckon Trevor the bull terrier would make an interesting deputy. They could form a new K9 party!
flatgirl_89
Yvonne's hydrangeas wouldn't have made it through O-Week with those antics!
localmockery
@flatgirl_89 - Clearly Kevin's way more effective than half the tools in office, even if he's not aware of it!
wayne1987
Nah, Kevin's gonna be much better than the actual Mayor. All he does is sleep and not mess with anyone's day. That's already more than some folks in office!
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