NORTHAMPTON — At least three candidates are making a run for Northampton City Council’s at-large seats, while the School Committee’s Ward 2 member looks to make her position permanent.

The council will see at least one new at-large member following the November election, with Marissa Elkins announcing she does not intend to run again for the seat. The other at-large councilor, Garrick Perry, has pulled nomination papers to run again for the position, according to the Northampton City Clerk’s office.

The two new candidates, Deborah Henson and Benjamin Spencer, have put out news releases announcing their candidacy and their hopes for the position.

A former public schools social worker in New Orleans before moving to Northampton, Henson cites the ongoing school budget issues in the city as her reason for running for an at-large seat. The city government and community have been divided over the issue of school spending for the last two years, with a minority on the council and public advocacy groups calling for more funding beyond what Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has recommended.

In a guest column published in the Gazette in April, Henson said she supported more funding for the school district, in opposition to the mayor.

“I want the budget to reflect the priorities of our community, not just those of the administration and acquiescent city councilors,” Henson wrote.

She also pledged to take an active approach to solicit opinions from constituents: “This community is comprised of very smart and engaged taxpayers, who surely have opinions on how their tax dollars are spent.”

On the other end is Spencer, a longtime resident of Northampton and employed as a professional metalworker. Originally from the Boston suburb of Arlington, Spencer moved to Northampton while attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has called the area his home since.

“I am excited for the opportunity to contribute to our community in a new way,” said Spencer when announcing his candidacy. “After years of advocating for increased community involvement in development and zoning decisions, and helping citizens navigate city bureaucracy, I’m prepared to take the next step by campaigning for City Council and asking for your vote.”

Spencer has frequently spoken during public comment sessions at various city meetings in support of ongoing projects sponsored by the mayor, such as the Picture Main Street plan to remake downtown and proposed multistory housing developments.

In other council races:

■ Ward 1’s Stanley Moulton is not running for reelection, and no other candidates have pulled nomination papers as of yet.

■Ward 2’s Deborah Klemer has announced her intention to seek reelection. To date, she faces no challengers.

■ Ward 3 is currently shaping up as a three-person race between Laurie Loisel, Lyle Labarge, and Ace Tayloe. Incumbent Quaverly Rothenberg has yet to pull nomination papers.

■Ward 4’s Jeremy Dubs is seeking reelection, and currently has no challengers.

■Ward 5 is also a three-person race at the moment between David Murphy, Vincent Rotello IV and Aline Davis. Incumbent Alex Jarrett is not seeking reelection.

■Ward 6’s Marianne Labarge is seeking reelection and faces a challenger in Kate Hamel.

■ Ward 7’s Rachel Maiore is seeking reelection, and is currently unopposed.

School Committee

On the School Committee side, Ward 2 member Anat Weisenfreund, who was appointed to fill the position vacated by Karen Foster, has announced she intends to run for the seat this fall.

Working professionally for Community Action Pioneer Valley as the director of its Head Start program, Weisenfreund previously held similar roles for New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services and for the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A graduate of Hampshire College, Weisenfreund lived in Northampton in the late 1990s and has lived in Ward 2 for the past eight years.

“As a member of the budget and properties subcommittee I have worked hard to understand the complex school and city budget issues,” Weisenfreund said in a statement announcing her campaign. “As we head into Northampton’s next election, it is urgent that we vote for leaders who are collaborative, trustworthy, and bold. Leaders who listen with curiosity, mine diverse points of view, and find solutions that are visionary as well as pragmatic.”

Weisenfreund will face off against Angela Wack for the Ward 2 position seat. Both Weisenfreund and Wack had been candidates for the interim seat following Foster’s from the seat.

There are currently no contests for the remaining School Committee positions. Pulling papers so far are Emily Serafy-Cox and Tiffany Jewell for at-large, with Cox an incumbent; Alena Bartoli in Ward 1; Renika Montgomery-Tamakloe in Ward 3; incumbent Michael Stein in Ward 4; Cynthia Mahoney in Ward 6; and R. Downey Meyer in Ward 7. There are no candidates for Ward 5.

Candidates for the upcoming elections have until July 21 to submit nomination papers to the Registrar of Voters for certification of signatures, with Aug. 4 being the last day to submit nominations to the city clerk. The municipal election will take place this year on Nov. 4.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.