‘Ice cream guy’ announces run for council seat
Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Self-described “ice cream guy” Karl Tiefenbacher will run for the empty seat on Wellington City Council.
The owner of gelato chain Kaffee Eis joins Green candidate and renter rights advocate Geordie Rogers in the race for the Pukehīnau/Lambton ward seat.
Rogers and Tiefenbacher are the two best-known candidates announced so far, although nominations remain open until next Friday. The empty council seat was vacated by Tamatha Paul after her election as the MP for Wellington Central.
Other candidates who have been nominated are taxi-pooling candidate Zan Rai Gyaw and Joan Shi, who is running on city safety and prioritising core infrastructure.
Tiefenbacher’s gelato business could be an advantage in the by-election – voting will take place in Wellington’s hottest months, starting at the end of January and closing on February 17.
That’s the busiest gelato season too, Tiefenbacher said, with over a tonne of gelato manufactured each day by Gellicious Gelato, the manufacturing arm of his business.
He will face strong opposition from the Green campaign for Rogers, with a big campaign of door-knocking planned despite the awkward summer timing.
In his announcement, Tiefenbacher said he wanted to run for council because he was “totally invested in Wellington and our future”.
The city was facing “huge and expensive challenges” and he would fight for sensible council decisions, with money spent wisely.
“Running my own business means I understand it’s essential to make logical and affordable decisions,” he said.
Tiefenbacher has been a vocal opponent of Let’s Get Wellington Moving’s plans to limit vehicle access to the Golden Mile, and was a signatory to the open letter from Wellington’s business community critiquing the plans.
“As an independent, I’ll be free to work with all councillors in the best interests of all Wellingtonians. I want the council to focus on managing infrastructure, restoring vibrancy to the city, and (importantly) spending our rates prudently.”
Tiefenbacher ran in last year’s local body election and was the fifth placed candidate in Pukehīnau/Lambton, with 1500 votes.
The ward covers the inner-city and surrounding suburbs including Kelburn, Thorndon, Oriental Bay and Mt Victoria.
Tiefenbacher is not the first gelatiere to run for city council. Last year fellow ice cream baron and owner of Carrello del Gelato, Nathan Meyer, ran for council in the southern ward.
Meyer accidentally severed the internet connection to 12 homes in Evans Bay when he drove a stake for one of his campaign hoardings too deep into the ground, slicing through a fibre optic cable.
Nominations for the Pukehīnau/Lambton ward by-election close on December 22. Voting will open on January 26 and close on February 17.
CORRECTION: Candidates Zan Rai Gyaw and Joan Shi have also been nominated for the seat. A previous version of the story said Geordie Rogers and Karl Tiefenbacher were the only candidates so far. (Updated at 2.15pm on December 12, 2023)