Ward 3 Councilwoman Camille Vella-Wilkinson won’t be running for re-election. Rather, she plans to run for the 21 District House seat now held by Eileen Naughton.

But Ward 3 may not be the only ward where an incumbent chooses not to seek a new term. As many as four additional council seats could see races between non-incumbents, based on interviews and what’s being said.

If that happens, the council will see one of the most dramatic changes in recent times with a majority of the nine members as newcomers or, conceivably, some former council members looking to return to office.

Vella-Wilkinson confirmed Tuesday what has been talked about for several months now. She said she wants to carry on her service to the city at the state level. She said she plans to formally declare for the House of Representatives next month. As a Democrat, this would put Vella-Wilkinson in a primary contest with Naughton, who first won the seat in 1992 and is expected to seek re-election.

Timothy Howe, the president of the Rhode Island Military Organization who has worked closely with Vella-Wilkinson, has been mentioned as a candidate for Ward 3.

Vella-Wilkinson is not the only council member who has decided what they will do this election year.

Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur said he plans to run for re-election. Ward 6 Councilwoman and City Council President Donna Travis is likewise seeking to have voters return her to the council, as is Ward 9 Councilman Steve Merolla. Ward 4 Councilman Joseph Solomon plans to be on the ballot, presumably for council, unless Mayor Scott Avedisian was not to seek re-election.

“I enjoy public service, I can see no reason to leave public service,” he said in an interview last week. He said he felt he has done a lot of good as councilman and that he doesn’t see making a change. Then he added he would “seek the seat where I feel I can do the best at.”

Avedisian hasn’t said what he will do this year. In response to the question, he emailed: “I have not made any decisions yet for the coming election cycle.”

In what surely has been one of the longer campaigns in the city, Richard Corrente announced in January 2015 as a Democrat for mayor.

Democratic City Committee Chairman Rob Farrell predicted an “interesting” election year in a telephone interview yesterday. In addition to Corrente, he is hearing that Stephen Boyle, president of the Cranston Chamber of Commerce, is considering a run for mayor, which would set the stage for a Democratic mayoral primary.

Now in her 11th term, Travis said yesterday she has a couple of unfinished items and is looking to return to the council. Specifically, she said she wants to have maintenance dredging of Brushneck Cove, pointing out that sand from City Park Beach has filled in the channel.

“I’m not looking to make it a yacht club or anything,” she said of the Little Rhody Boat Club.

Travis also said she wants to ensure a smooth transition with the consolidation of schools and see that improvements are made to Pilgrim, where most Vets students will be going.

Travis hasn’t heard of any possible opponents for Ward 6 and is surprised by speculation that as many as five council incumbents may not seek re-election. She knew Vella-Wilkinson plans to run for the House of Representatives and that Ward 8 Councilman Joseph Gallucci hasn’t decided.

“Sometime soon I have to make a decision,” said Gallucci, who has 16 years on the council in two spans. He served as council president eight of those years. Weighing on Gallucci’s decision are health and age.

On the question of age, Gallucci says, “I’m celebrating the 31st anniversary of my 50th.” Yet, he adds, “I think I can still bring something to the council.”

Gallucci said there is “a lot of activity” in Ward 8, and as he has reminded the council during budget deliberations, the ward has a third of the tax base of the entire city. A majority of the city’s retail is located in the ward between Route 2 and the malls.

The council’s only Republican, Steve Colantuono, is one of three finalists for the Office of the Child Advocate for the state. He said depending on how that decision works out, he would have to re-evaluate running.

Colantuono has heard speculation more than one incumbent council member may not run for re-election.

“I think it is a great opportunity to get some new members on the council with different opinions and perspectives on how the city should run. Turnover is not always a bad thing. Sometimes you need new blood in the system every once and a while,” he said.

Discussing the nature of the national campaign, Colantuono said, “That’s the climate now. There are more people with strong opinions on what should and shouldn’t be done focusing on what their opponents or people in government are doing wrong.”

He said he personally focuses on his message and position and invites any candidate with a handshake and welcome aboard.

“People get caught up in making things personal, and that’s not good for any election,” he said.

Asked whether Republicans are gearing up for the election, Avedisian said City GOP Chairman Mike Penta has been recruiting candidates.

“I am not sure that there will be a full slate, but there will be viable and energetic candidates for many offices. There was considerable interest from people who wanted to run for delegate to the Republican National Convention, and I think that interest will translate into other candidacies,” he said.

Neither Ward 2 Councilman Thomas Chadronet nor Ward 7 Councilwoman Kathleen Usler could be reached for this story. Some of Chadronet’s colleagues on the council question whether he’ll seek re-election. Chadronet narrowly won a primary contest waged by Michael Zarum two years ago. Several names, including Zarum’s, have been mentioned as possible candidates in the ward.

A first term councilwoman, Usler hasn’t declared her intentions.