The entire Duncan council is back to try to hold on to their seats at city hall, including Mayor Phil Kent, who will be challenged this year by lawyer Peter Gordon. If none of the current councillors appeal, there are also plenty of challengers. Amalgamation is a hot topic this election season, with candidates talking about it and a referendum question going out to voters.
Duncan Council Candidates
What matters to Barker is staying the course on curbing tax increases, staying away from activism and giving amalgamation a fair chance.
What matters to Beale is at-risk youth and the roots of crime, affordable housing, and environmental concerns such as recycing and water.
What matters to Bell is tackling better communication between municipal government and the community, and addressing concerns.
What matters to Bruce is supporting amalgamation and focusing on things like water, sidewalks, parking and keeping taxes manageable.
What matters to lawyer Peter Gordon is solving Duncan's problems, including having "too much" government at the local level.
What matters to Kent is continued work on items in the community plan, as well as continued prudent fiscal management.
What matters to Cole is protection of the watershed and the city's water supply, consultation with city residents, growth and prosperity.
What matters to Duncan is the strategic plan, parks and infrastructure improvements, and active transportation planning.
What matters to Garrison is opposing amalgamation, and bringing his experience from Saanich council to the Duncan council table.
What matters to Heppell is encouraging more residential and commercial development downtown, and promoting the city.
What matters to Horgan is lowering taxes by different management of city finances and limiting money socked into a war chest.
What matters to Jackson as she goes for her seventh term is redevelopment of the Trans Canada Highway and an advisory desing panel.
What matters to Nielsen is taxes that he believes are too high, investigating amalgamation, and bringing a common sense attitude.
What matters to Peterson is consultation, accountability, new ideas and a use for the city's financial surplus. He is against activist policies.
What matters to Staples is a respectful atmosphere, adapting to meet ever-changing needs, economic development and film plastic pick-up.
What matters to Thorne is more discourse with the public and looking beyond the city to larger issues like agriculture and environment.
What matters to Behnsen are concerns about too many roundabouts, money spent on consultants and high salaries and benefits for staff.
What matter to Bran is halting tax increases and overspending, and getting new ideas from the public to encourage business growth.
What matters to Campbell is freezing taxes and reining in spending, and considering Chemainus as a location for a new police station.
What matters to Capps is environmental protection, public safety, including effective transit, and support for small business.
What matters to Caumanns is stopping the increase in taxation and making council more accountable and open to the public.
What matters to Douglas is the economy, affordable housing, protecting the environment, supporting farming and long-term planning.
What matters to Fane are the "out of control" taxes, doing a line-by-line review of the budget and reducing North Cowichan staff.
What matters to Fletcher is jobs so that young people can stay in the area, while developing things like an agricultural/culinary college.
What matters to Gates is making sure taxes are spent on the right things, getting better control of the water supply and making firm decisions.
What matters to Haywood is freezing residential taxes for the next four years and finding economies within the existing budgets.
What matters to Maguire is better communication, as well as resolving Chemainus water problems, the University Village and Stoney Hill.
What matters to Mann is controlling taxes and supporting business so that young people will be able to work and live in the community.
What matters to Marsh is continuing a history of success from last term, environmental protection, and boosting the economy.
What matters to McCallum is protecting the environment and small business which she calls the "heart and soul" of the community.
What matters to Motley is bringing new business to the area and working with other levels of government on larger issues like water.
What matters to Robson is removing hurdles for businesses, new and existing, and developments. He wants to bring a new attitude to council.
What matters to Siebring is establishing a firm limit on residential property tax increases and creating a sliding scale of priorities.
What matters to Thomson is curbing excessive taxation and wasteful spending. He would like to hire an outside auditor to look at the budget.
What matters to Walker is coming up with solutions, as well as examining residential taxes compared to industrial and commercial taxes.
What matters to Waller are the questionable decisions made about the artificial turf soccer field and wasteful municipal spending.