Editing Nelson, New Zealand (section)

== Government ==
=== Local ===
[[File:Nelson City Council Building.JPG|thumb|The Nelson City Council building in 2012]]

As a [[unitary authority]], the [[Nelson City Council]] has the combined responsibilities and functions of both a [[Territorial authorities of New Zealand|territorial (local)]] and [[Regions of New Zealand|regional council]]. This is different from most other local authorities in New Zealand. More often, a regional council is a separate organisation with several territorial authorities (city or district councils) within its borders. Other unitary authorities are the [[Auckland Council]], [[Gisborne District Council]], [[Marlborough Region|Marlborough District Council]], [[Tasman District Council]] and the [[Chatham Islands Council]].

The Nelson City Council holds elections for the [[Mayor of Nelson, New Zealand|mayor of Nelson]] and 12 councillors under the [[first-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] electoral system every three years. As of 13 October 2022, the mayor is [[Nick Smith (New Zealand politician)|Nick Smith]] and the deputy mayor [[Rohan O'Neill-Stevens]].

Nelson City has a coat of arms, obtained in 1958 from the [[College of Arms]] to mark the centenary of Nelson as a city. The [[blazon]] of the arms is:
:"Barry wavy Argent and Azure a Cross Flory Sable on a Chief also Azure a Mitre proper And for the Crest on a Wreath of the Colours Issuant from a Mural Crown proper a Lion rampant Gules holding between the fore paws a Sun in splendour or. The supporters on the dexter side a Huia Bird and on the sinister side a Kotuku both proper."

Motto "''Palmam qui meruit ferat''" (Let him who has earned it bear the palm). This motto is the same as that of [[Horatio Nelson|Lord Nelson]].

=== National ===
Nelson is covered by the [[Nelson (New Zealand electorate)|Nelson general electorate]], and the [[Te Tai Tonga]] Māori electorate, which covers the entire South Island and part of [[Wellington]] in the North Island. Since the [[2023 New Zealand general election|2023 general election]], Nelson is held by [[Rachel Boyack]] of the [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour Party]], and Te Tai Tonga by [[Tākuta Ferris]] of [[Te Pāti Māori]].