There are eight people running for council and four for mayor for the Oct. 19 Whitehorse municipal election.

With several of the candidates trickling in before today's noon deadline, the ballot list is set and the race is on.

Candidates for mayor, as their names will appear on the ballot, are:

• Ray Kitz

• Bev Buckway

• Ernie Bourassa

• Robert Barry.

Candidates for council, in the order they will appear at the ballot box, include:

• Jeanine Myhre

• Doug Graham

• Dave Austin

• Ron Swizdaryk

• Florence Roberts

• Brian Eaton

• Jan Stick

• Dave Stockdale.

The order on the ballot was decided through a draw conducted by the city's returning officer, Norma Falker.

In an interview at city hall early this afternoon, Falker described the number of people putting their names forward for city council as 'dismal' , with the number of candidates much, much lower than what has been considered average in the past.

'We had 32 on the ballot in 2000 for councillor,' Falker recalled. 'In 2003, we had about 17.'

In the 2000 election, she noted, there were six candidates for mayor and an equal four in 2003.

Falker said the first packages by candidates declaring their intent started coming in this month with the final candidate, Eaton, handing in his nomination package five minutes before noon.

Asked why she's running, the 21-year-old Myhre said she wants to put her money where her mouth is and offer the Whitehorse electorate some choice.

Myhre said she made up her mind this morning to put her name forward because she'd heard that virtually nobody else was.

'So many people are against things like development, yet nobody is putting their name forward to run,' Myhre said at city hall this morning.

Barry said he had been considering running for mayor for a number of years but felt that this year's election offers the right timing.

'It's time for a change I think,' Barry said. 'It's time to see some new faces.'

Eaton said he decided to put his name forward after he had been calling around to people he knows and found out very few people were running.

'I asked my neighbours and the people I knew; nobody was running so I figured I would give it a go and put my name forward,' said Eaton, who has lived in Whitehorse for about 25 years.

Also appearing on the ballot for the Oct. 19 election, in line with the city's new greenbelt referendum bylaw, is a question on an Arkell greenbelt.

The question, according to Falker, will read: 'Are you in favour of Bylaw 2006-35, which proposes to amend the Official Community Plan by redesignating lands between the Arkell and McIntyre subdivisions, identified in section one of the bylaw, from greenbelt to residential urban.'

The ballot box, Falker added, would also include a map and land designation description so people would clearly understand what area they are voting on.

If the necessary bylaw receives final approval from the outgoing council, the mayor would earn $72,000 per year, with a $450-monthly vehicle allowance.

Councillors would earn $17,500 annually.