Nominations are open for three seats on the City Council, with only one incumbent announcing plans to run for reelection.

Ward 3 Councilor Terry Nordmann announced he is running again, while Ward 2 Councilor Sean Paulhus and Ward 4 Councilor Raye Leonard announced they will not.

Nordmann, first elected in 2015, said he looks forward to running for reelection and potentially tackling some bigger issues in the city.

“There is a lot going on in Bath. We have a fire department we want to look at a new building for,” Nordmann said. “That’s tied into Morse High School. There is going to be some determination about what will happen to that building coming up.”

Nordmann also hopes to bring up local public transportation, which, he said, lacks any connection to Brunswick.

“There is no way to get from Bath to Brunswick using public transportation,” Nordmann said. “The bus line in Bath doesn’t even go to Cooks Corner, which might be a good idea if it did.”

Paulhus, who represents Bath in the state House of Representatives, said: “After 13 years on the council, years I’ve enjoyed a lot, it is the right time to take a step back.”

Paulhus was first elected in 2008 to fill the remaining year of an unexpired term, and then reelected in 2009, 2012 and 2015.

Leonard did not comment on why she is choosing not to run again. A former newspaper editor, Leonard was elected in 2019.

Residents must collect at least 35 signatures from residents in Wards 2, 3 and 4 to qualify to run for the open seats, whose terms expire November 2024. The deadline to submit papers is 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 17 at the City Clerk’s Office at 55 Front St. Elections will be held Nov. 2.

Other spot to fill

The city is also still looking for applicants to replace City Manager Peter Owen, who is retiring at the end of August, though applications have not been advertised yet.

According to Owen, Assistant City Manager Marc Meyers will act as interim if a new manager has not been chosen by the time Owen leaves, although that decision is not yet official.