Incumbent Cr Steve Procter has joined with first-time candidates Jennifer Leslie and Gloria Green for a box on the ballot paper at the September 13 poll, based on their shared belief that major political parties do not belong in local government.

But their policies extend to the balance between development and farmland and the need to provide jobs to keep young people in Maitland.

The group will run in north ward.

"We do not want to continue with the infil of the floodplain," Cr Procter said.

"We want to control and manage development in low-lying areas: sure, build on the high ground.

"But there has to be consideration for the floodplain after what we saw in June last year.

"The second thing we want is to encourage jobs, particularly in the commercial and industrial sectors.

"The city is growing, and our own families live in this area and they need jobs."

Ms Leslie, a mother of two young sons, said she wanted Maitland to be tagged as the city of opportunity.

"We've got to have that progress so our children will stay here, and they have a reason to stay here," she said.

An accountant and long-time member of Maitland Business and Professional Women (BPW), Ms Leslie had three main reasons for running for council.

"The first is that I've always felt party politics don't belong in local government; secondly, women are more than 51 per cent of the population and that's not reflected in our representation.

"The other reason is that only 38 per cent of the population are couples with children, and I believe that's unrepresented as well."

The mother of two young sons said it was not a decision she made lightly.

"The first thing I did was sit down and talk about it with my family," she said.

"If they didn't think it could work, then I wouldn't do it."

Mrs Green, a grandmother of three, with another grandchild on the way, said you had to make time for what was important.

A Millers Forest stalwart, her community involvement ranges from Millers Forest Public School and the Uniting Church to secretary of both the progress association and the Maitland branch of Justices of the Peace.

Her decision to join the team came from wanting to be more involved in the community.

But the group's central argument is the advantage of independent councillors.

"We're dead against party politics in local government," Cr Procter said.

"Independents are not a party. We have discussions from time to time, but there's no instruction on how to make decisions."