FORTY people will contest the November Ballarat City Council election.Nominations closed at midday today and show eight of the current nine councillors will run again, with Mayor Stephen Jones declaring his intention to again seek office after a period of indecision.Cr Jones announced he would quit council in a television interview late last week but changed his mind when contacted by The Courier, saying support from ratepayers had encouraged him to reconsider.The Victorian lectoral Commission website shows 13 people will contest the north ward, which takes in Learmonth, Miners Rest, Wendouree and Alfredton. Seats in the central ward, which covers the central urban area of the city, will be fought over by 16 candidates.In the south ward, which includes Delacombe, Sebastopol and Buninyong, 11 candidates will run.NORTH WARD: John Van Beveren, Desley Beechey, John Philips, David Vendy, Chris Carpenter, Troy Platt, Ian Jolly, Dianne Hadden, Joshua Wood, Kelvin Wood, Noel Perry, Samantha McIntosh, Alison SmithSOUTH WARD: Cheryl Bromfield, Peter Innes, Des Hudson, Elizabeth Matuschka, Val Sheil, Barbara Devers, David Senior, Brian Pola, Brett Edgington, Ben Taylor, Shane MolloyCENTRAL WARD: Judy Verlin, Jon Stanger, Gary Fitzgerald, Herman Ruyg, Andrew Faull, Mark Harris, Craig Fletcher, Scott Hebbard, Steven Petrov, Belinda Coates, Gillian Canavan, Rupert Coles, Emma Battenally, Jim Quinn, Stephen Jones, David Stabb.Full details in The Courier tomorrow.