In 2007, Bouw-Spies was elected mayor of the municipality, a position she held until the 2011 local government elections, when the Democratic Alliance won a majority of seats on the municipal council and DA councillor Georlene Wolmarans was voted in as mayor.
[8] In September 2018, the Knysna Municipal Council decided to lay a criminal charge against Bouw-Spies following a recommendation made by the "De Swart Report" so that the allegations against her, could be investigated.
On 11 March 2019, captain RP van der Westhuizen, informed the then-acting municipal manager, Johnny Douglas, by e-mail that the case had been closed and that the charge was dropped.
The DA expressed concern about why the information was not disclosed to the municipal council or the public, but welcomed the decision to not prosecute Bouw-Spies.
[14] Bouw-Spies was promoted to Shadow Minister of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs on 21 April 2023, following Brink's election as Mayor of Tshwane.
[16] Bouw-Spies is married to Rowan Spies, a DA councillor in the Garden Route District Municipality.