Seven candidates for the Corporation of Hamilton election have joined to form a joint slate in the hope that City voters will elect all of them as a team in next Thursday's elections.

It is the first time individual nominees have teamed up to encourage voters to select all of them for City Hall positions, according to the group's candidate for Mayor, Charles Gosling.

Mr. Gosling, currently a Councillor, is running against fellow Councillor Kathryn Gibbons and one-time Deputy Mayor Sonia Grant for the role of Mayor, seeking to replace incumbent Sutherland Madeiros who has decided not to seek another term.

Mr. Gosling's team includes Councillor nominees Dennis Tucker, J. Nicholas Swan, Pamela Quarterly and Marshall Minors, who will compete with Graeme Outerbridge, Walter Cross and Sheilagh Robertson for five Councillor spots.

Mr. Tucker is currently a Councillor, while Mr. Outerbridge held the role before resigning last year amid ineligibility claims. He has since re-registered with different details and seeks a return to City Hall. Also part of the team effort are Pamela Ferreira, John Harvey and Glen Smith, who will compete for three Alderman positions alongside David Dunkley, who resigned from the Corporation on Tuesday and has since re-registered, ending a long-running dispute over his eligibility to hold office.

Mr. Dunkley was the subject of an investigation last year when former Deputy Mayor Bill Black alleged that neither he nor Mr. Outerbridge were bona fide tenants of the city and were therefore ineligible to serve as Corporation members.

Mr. Dunkley appealed this decision, although the case never made it to court.

Mr. Dunkley remained on board as an Alderman throughout the appeal, and has now re-registered on the municipal roll, ending the question over his eligibility according to Corporation chief operation officer Ed Benevides. Rather than an elector, Mr. Dunkley is now a nominee, listed as the representative of the Onner Group Ltd. He is vice-president of the company, according to a spokesman.

"There is no dispute over his current registration, and the other one is moot now," explained Mr. Benevides.

The Corporation's returning officer John Cooper, who oversaw the nomination process, told The Royal Gazette that it is "the first time in a long time" that there are more nominees than positions at the municipal body. "It is rare that there is an election required for all three roles Mayor, Aldermen and Councillors," he said.

Thursday's election will go ahead as normal despite uncertainty over the Corporation of Hamilton's future.

The Government recently announced plans to abolish both Hamilton's municipal body and the Corporation of St. George's, instead delegating its work across various Government departments. The Corporation and the Opposition have spoken out against this move, with current Mayor Sutherland Madeiros saying it undermines local democracy.

Candidates for the office of Mayor:

Kathryn Gibbons

Charles Gosling

Sonia Grant

Candidates for the office of Alderman:

David Dunkley

Pamela Ferreira

John Harvey

Glen Smith

Candidates for the office of Common Councillor:

Walter Cross

Marshall Minors

Graeme Outerbridge

Pamela Quarterly

Sheilagh Robertson

J. Nicholas Swan

Dennis Tucker