Rodney District Council is the first of the eight councils in the Auckland region to say it does not want to join the proposed super-city.
The council, which represents about 90,000 people, says it wants to have the functions of both a district and regional council instead.
The council has voted 8-3 to investigate that option and will consider making that proposal to a select committee hearing submissions on the super-city.
Mayor Penny Webster says it is very important that metropolitan Auckland gets sorted out, but to put semi-rural Rodney into the mix is going "a step too far."
She says Franklin is also looking at such a proposal.
Ms Webster says the appointment of former Rodney mayor John Law to the Auckland Transition Agency will have no impact on the distrcit's opposition to the super-city.
The agency is charged with merging the councils into one entity.
