Mayhem spent six years as a member of the
Dunedin City Council's Waikouaiti-Coast Community Board she is deputy chair of the city council's community services committee. She is the unofficial mayor of
Waitati, a small coastal settlement within Dunedin city. Mayhem announced in May 2025 that she would stand as a candidate for
Mayor of Dunedin and for city councillor in the
2025 Dunedin City Council election. On 26 August 2025, Cr Mayhem voted against a DCC motion to scrap the contentious Albany Street cycleway project, which passed by a vote of 8 to 7 votes. The Albany Street cycleway project would have involved removing 48 carparks near the
University of Otago. Local business owners had criticised the DCC for not consulting them about the proposed project. Mayor
Jules Radich has used his casting vote to pass the motion after Cr Jim O'Malley recused himself from the proceedings. That same day, Mayhem voted in favour of a motion to scrap free Sunday parking in the Dunedin city centre, which passed by a vote of 11 to 4. On 23 September, Mayhem supported a revocation motion filed by Cr Christine Garey to revoke the council's decision to cancel the Albany Street connection, which passed by a margin of 8 to 7 votes. During the
New Zealand local elections which concluded on 11 October 2025, Mayhem came seventh place in the
mayoral race but was
re-elected to the City Council. On 12 November 2025, Mayhem supported a successful council motion to accept a budget overspend on the contentious Albany Street Connection Project, which passed by a margin of 8 to 7 votes. ==Political views==