The mayor of Franklin District Council is to start proceedings on Friday to prevent the region from becoming part of the Auckland super-city.
Mark Ball says a resolution was passed on Thursday night at a public meeting at Pukekohe Town Hall to apply to the Local Government Commission for the authority to operate independently from the super-city.
Mr Ball says the passionate crowd at the meeting showed displeasure to Local Government Minister Rodney Hide over plans to include the northern part of the district in the super-city.
Earlier this year, a report on how the super-city will be structured and run in 2010 was issued by the Auckland Governance Select Committee.
Among its recommendations was that a small part of Franklin land in the southeast will go to Waikato. The southern boundary would run close to Waiuku and Pukekohe.
Mr Ball says Franklin residents do not see the region as either part of Auckland City or Waikato and wish to remain as one council.
He says extensive investigations have been undertaken to ensure that the district can successfully make the transition and believes a bigger population and a broader rating base than other unitary authorities puts Franklin in good stead.
