Yesterday, opinion pieces from Cr Barker, incumbent Jules Radich and mayoral candidate Andrews Simms appeared in the Sunday Star-Times, as part of a series on local government campaigns ahead of October’s elections.

While Cr Barker had not declared a run for mayor, she was "widely tipped" to join the contest, the paper said.

Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, Cr Barker said her decision was unlikely anytime soon.

"I’m just concentrating on getting the long-term plan work — and that’s a huge amount of work — out of the way, and then we’ll think about elections," she said.

"I’ve got 58 pages of notes from the [long-term plan hearings] to go through, so I’m busy."

Cr Barker said there had been a huge amount of support from people asking her to stand — "that’s my deep consideration, is responding to the call of what people want".

"It might stop them all asking me to run every day. I’m like, ‘I haven’t made my mind up; I haven’t made my mind up. I am busy’."

She said she had been approached by the Sunday Star-Times to write the piece.

Cr Barker previously ran for mayor in 2022, finishing third behind Mr Radich and former mayor Aaron Hawkins.

ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz