Save the Finley War Memorial Hall Association members John Taylor and Patricia Boyd and retailer John Carr are among 11 candidates seeking eight places.

Mr Carr, a co-proprietor of Finley’s Betta electricial franchise, has painted signs protesting the council’s hall plan on the wall of his premises.

The council decided in June to abandon any plans to raze the hall, instead opting to demolish an adjoining annex after community opposition to the original proposal to replace the hall with a park.

Despite that Mr Carr says he is standing for election because he still fears the hall may go.

“Demolishing the hall is still an option down the track and I’m concerned about the relationship between the bureaucracy and councillors,” Mr Carr said.

“I feel the councillors were given limited information to achieve a decided outcome and I personally think that was an abuse of the trust between the bureaucracy and the councillors.”

Mr Taylor said the hall controversy reflected his wider concerns about the council which he described as “autocratic”.

“What happened with the hall is symptomatic of things that could be improved,” he said.

“I think there’s room for improvement in the ways in which the council and community interact.”

Mrs Boyd said the hall issue reflected her belief the “community need a better deal and to be listened to”.

The only existing councillors to not seek re-election are Andrea O’Neill and Brian Hill.

Cr O’Neill has opted to retire after one term to focus on other interests, particularly her management of Berrigan’s Amaroo aged care centre, while Cr Hill plans to travel overseas and believes he could not give adequate time to being a councillor.

He was on the shire for eight years.

Mayor Bernard Curtin and veteran John Bruce will seek fresh mandates.