Whitehorse voters will be asked to choose their next mayor from a list of five hopeful candidates in the Oct. 18 municipal election.

Additionally, they'll also be asked to put an X next to up to six names from a list of 22 candidates looking to become a city councillor.

At noon today, returning officer Norma Felker sat inside council chambers waiting for those last-minute candidates to submit their nomination papers.

Only two additional candidates visited to submit their papers this morning, with mayoral candidate Bernie Phillips watching the action.

While he had submitted his papers earlier, he said he wanted to be there this morning to find out where his name will be on the ballot.

After the noon deadline, Felker put the five mayoral candidates' names in a container with Rob Fendrick, the city's director of administrative services drawing them to determine the order.

Phillips was thrilled when his name was drawn first, giving him top spot on the ballot.

"Phillips first,” he said with a grin.

He is the only candidate to have served on council.

After two unsuccessful attempts running for mayor in 1988 and 1991, he was elected as a councillor in 1994 and served two terms in the role.

In 2000, he ran again for mayor but was defeated by Ernie Bourassa, who ended up serving two terms as mayor before losing his job to departing incumbent Bev Buckway in 2006. He was also defeated by Bourassa in the 2003 election. This marks his first attempt since then to rejoin council.

Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Phillips said he's heard there can be a five- to 10-per-cent increase in votes for the first name on the ballot, as undecided voters will sometimes just choose the first name they come to.

"It's a good sign,” he said.

While Phillips has been out talking to voters, now that the nomination deadline has passed, he will start putting out signs, recycling those from former campaigns, to encourage voters place an X next to his name.

He said he's been getting "some very good reaction from those he's spoken to.

Many have commented they'd like to see more accountability and better etiquette between council members at meetings, something he hopes to help bring about if he's elected.

Phillips also noted there are many good candidates to choose from.

"There's a good cross-section of the community,” he said.

After Phillips' name on the ballot will be Scott Howell's, followed by Dan Curtis, Rick Karp and, finally, Mandeep Singh Sidhu.

Karp, the president of the Whitehorse Chamber of Commerce, was the first to announce his mayoral candidacy, hosting a press conference about it in mid-June.

His campaign announcements were followed by those of Curtis, Skills Canada's Yukon executive director, local consultant Howell and local laundromat manager Sidhu, as well as Phillips' recent announcement.

Councillors Ranj Pillai and Florence Roberts will not be on this year's ballot.

Incumbents Dave Austin, Kirk Cameron, Betty Irwin and Dave Stockdale are all seeking re-election.

After drawing the name order for the mayoral candidates on the ballot, Fendrick pulled the names of the 22 councillor-hopefuls to determine that order.

They will appear on the ballot as follows:

• Pat Berrel;

• Dave Austin;

• Helen Geisler;

• Mike Gladish;

• Sharon Shorty;

•Julie Menard;

• Al Fedoriak;

• Conrad Tiedeman;

• Joy Courtaneau;

• Leona Kains;

• Michael Kokiw;

• Garth Brown;

• Kirk Cameron;

• Patrick Singh;

• Dave Stockdale;

• Cam Kos;

• Randy Collins;

• Betty Irwin;

• John Streicker;

• Mike Tribes;

• Roslyn Woodcock; and

• Jean-Sebastien Blais.

Candidates have a 96-hour period to withdraw from the race. That gives them until noon Monday to have their names taken off the ballot, said returning officer Norma Felker.

She will get the ballot information to the printers this afternoon. If there are any changes, she said, she can inform them and have the ballots changed.

Otherwise, it will just be a quick phone call Monday afternoon to tell them to print the ballots.

Buckway was pleased with the number of candidates, noting "that's absolutely wonderful” that there's so much interest in the election.

There's a good, diverse group of candidates to choose from, she said.

She noted it's always good to have choice, though in this case, the mayor's chair won't be occupied by a woman for the next term.

While she had extended an invitation for prospective candidates to meet with her to discuss what's involved in serving on council, she said only four of the entire 27 candidates took her up on that offer.

The mayor declined to endorse any candidates, noting she doesn't know them all.

She encouraged voters to contact each of the candidates – as she also did when she was running in past elections – personally to see where they stand on issues.

As for her number one tip to pass on to her successor, she advises that person to read the Municipal Act to find out exactly what the roles and responsibilities of a municipality are.

She noted one of the hardest things for new council members to learn is that the municipality's biggest role is serving property – roads, water, sewer, recreation facilities and so on – over services provided to people through things like social services.

As Buckway winds down her career, she said she plans to take a break, then look for new opportunities.