Nominations closed last week, and we have 32 names on the ballot paper for Armidale Regional Council. About half of them are pictured above at last week's ballot draw.

Last week we listed all the candidates once nominations had closed and looking through that list we noticed it includes five current councillors, two former ones and a host of new faces for voters to choose from.

We also took the opportunity to reflect on what happened with the council last year, when Armidale Regional Council was suspended and an administrator appointed.

That article was published as part of a wider Australian Community Media series looking at local government in NSW, and Armidale is certainly not alone when it comes to having issues with its council. We weren't the only community to have its council suspended.

So with that in mind we thought it was worthwhile to examine the issues looking at several councils across the state, and seeking the views of people who know about local government.

Last Thursday, November 4, the draw was held determining the positions the ARC candidates and groups will appear on the ballot paper.

The next date to mark on the calendar is November 17, which is when Business New England will host a 'meet the candidates' forum at the Armidale Golf Club.

The free event will start at 6pm and allow residents to put questions to candidates.

I would encourage you to make the most of that opportunity by getting questions to the chamber ahead of the evening, focusing on the issues that are important for our region.

Thanks for reading and I hope you have a great week.

Laurie Bullock

Group Editor