Voters in Butler will get a chance to hear from candidates for city council and the office of mayor next month at a planned debate at the Holly Pointe Conference Center on Main Street.

The debate will begin at 6 p.m. Oct. 17, when the four candidates for two seats on city council — incumbents Kathy Kline and Kenny Bonus and challengers Jim Kemple and Jeff Smith — take the stage for a debate that's expected to last about an hour.

The council candidates will be followed by Democrat Jamie Lee Goehring and Republican Ben Smith, the two mayoral candidates, who will take the stage at 7:15 p.m. for a debate that is expected to last about 45 minutes.

The debate will not include current Mayor Tom Donaldson, who lost to Smith in the Republican primary in May, but has since declared his intention to run a write-in campaign.

Ron Vodenichar, general manager of the Eagle, said the event would adhere to previously-developed rules laid out by the chamber of commerce, meaning Donaldson can't participate.

“One of the great things about partnering with Butler Downtown or any other Butler County Chamber of Commerce affiliate is that everything is always well-structured,” he said. “The Chamber has an official debate policy in place that clearly states that only persons whose name appears on the ballot will be permitted to participate in the debate. Very clearly stated so we won't have to deal with outside influences that would be disruption. We look forward to an informative evening and lively conversation.”

The event is being taped by Armstrong Cable and will also be streamed live by Butler Radio.