Corporation of Hamilton councillors Kathryn Gibbons and Pamela Ferreira will vie to become alderman at next Monday's city by-election.

And six nominations have been received for the three vacant common councillor seats, including one for Graeme Outerbridge, who resigned from the municipality in May.

The other five people standing are Chamber of Commerce executive vice-president Diane Gordon, businessman Charles Gosling, Bermuda Hotel Association CEO John Harvey, Ann Kast and Glenn Smith.

The alderman position became vacant earlier this month when City Hall issued a statement saying alderman William Black had been removed from his post due to a defect in his position as a nominee on the voters' register.

Mr. Black pledged to continue as alderman but The Royal Gazette understands he is now off the Island for a month so cannot contest his seat on Monday. His lawyer is looking into his removal from City Hall.

Corporation Secretary Kelly Miller said Mr. Black was registered on the voters' list for a company called Island-Wide Security until 2007 but that he should have changed his registration when he sold the company in 2002.

Mayor Sutherland Madeiros said: "The Corporation believes that the defect in William Black's registration as a nominee was an oversight.

"Since being elected in 2002, Bill Black could have been eligible to be a member of the Corporation of Hamilton through his interest in Rachel Enterprises Ltd.

"William Black is currently a validly registered nominee of a validly registered municipal elector but the Corporation has determined that the previous defects in his registration as a nominee created a vacancy under the [Municipalities] Act."

Another alderman, David Dunkley, has been told he is not eligible to serve as he is not a bona fide city voter; he is appealing the decision.

Mr. Madeiros said: "The William Black/David Dunkley situations are different. An objection was lodged to the registration of Mr. Dunkley as a municipal elector in the register.

"The Secretary investigated the objection and the Corporation of Hamilton maintains that David Dunkley should not be on the register as a municipal elector, which gives rise to a right of appeal under paragraph 16 [of the Act].

"In David Dunkley's case, if his appeal is unsuccessful, a vacancy will arise under section 19 of the Act, and in Mr. Black's case, the vacancy has already arisen."

Mr. Madeiros urged voters to come out in force next Monday between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. "I am very pleased that we have such a strong contingent for the upcoming election," he said.