NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The list of City Council candidates may be shrinking with barely 10 days left to go for nomination papers to be submitted.

 

Of the 17 candidates who pulled papers, one has formally withdrawn, one is running for state representative, and only eight have returned papers. 

 

The council is made up of the top nine vote-getters every two years. 

 

Four incumbents had returned papers by Friday: Eric Buddington, Joshua J. Moran, Benjamin Lamb and Keith Bona. Buddington's papers still had to be certified. Also returning papers is Wayne Wilkinson, who was sworn into the council on Tuesday to take over the vacant seat left by Nancy Bullett's resignation.

 

Newcomers returning papers are Roger Eurbin, a frequent council attendee and leader of the Hill Side Cemetery Restoration; Rebbecca A. Cohen, one of several who came forward for the vacant council seat; and Bryan K. Sapienza.

 

Not returning papers yet are Edward L. Lacosse, H. Merle Knight, Paul J. Hopkins, Keifer Gammell, William J. Caprari, Ashley Marie Shade and Marie T. Harpin (who pulled papers Friday). 

 

Jessica Cramer has withdrawn and incumbent Lisa Blackmer is running for the 1st Berkshire District seat. Not running for council at all are current incumbents Ronald A. Boucher and Robert R. Moulton Jr., both of whom are again running for mayor, and Kate Hanley Merrigan.

 

That leaves only five incumbents, counting Wilkinson, running for election. And so far only three newcomers, though there's still time to get in nomination papers with 50 signatures by the Aug. 7 deadline. 

 

The mayor's race is now up to five candidates with the addition of Robert Martelle, who ran in 2011. The other candidates besides he, Boucher and Moulton are Thomas Bernard and Rachel Branch. 

 

Four candidates have pulled papers for the three seats on the School Committee: incumbent Heather Boulger and newcomers James C. Holmes, Peter Breen and Ian D. Bergeron. Incumbents John Hockridge indicated he would not run again and Mark Moulton has not taken out papers.

 

Only two incumbents have taken papers for the two seats on the McCann School Committee: Gary Rivers and Paul Gigliotti.

 

The last day to submit papers to the city clerk is 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug 7; last day to register to vote for the preliminary election is 8 p.m. on Aug. 30. The preliminary election, to narrow the number of mayoral candidates to two if necessary, will be held on Sept. 21.