The mayor presides over the Whakatāne District Council, which was first formed in 1976 following an amalgamation, with further changes taking place in 1989.
[3] The current mayor of Whakatāne is Victor Luca, who was elected in 2022.
[5] Additionally, the mayor is a member of joint committees and groups including the Bay of Plenty Civil Defence Emergency Management Group, the Regional Transport Committee, the Commercial Advisory Board, and the Eastern Bay of Plenty Joint Committee (which is composed of members of the Whakatane, Kawerau, and Opotiki District Councils and the Bay of Plenty Regional Council).
The mayor received a salary of $121,899 plus expenses as of 2020,[7] and holds the title of His/Her Worship.
[8] Bill Sullivan was chairman of the Whakatane Harbour Board (1923–1926) and mayor of the Whakatane Borough Council (1925–1938) before representing the Bay of Plenty electorate in the House of Representatives (1941–1957).