Mello said Menard is inaccessible to the public and has created a sense of secrecy around what happens at city hall. He’s said he wants to make municipal government more open, and will reestablish relationships with the Police Department and City Council.

Brien, who ran against Menard in 2005, said integrity had broken down during her years as mayor.

He’s spoken against Menard’s decision to increase firefighters’ wages nearly 13 percent over three years. At that time, Brien said, taxpayers were expecting a tax increase to offset bonds for two new middle schools, but could not afford to pay for the firefighters’ benefits.

Menard says she’s running for reelection to see the completion of the middle schools to their completion. Negotiating with the firefighters, she said, which included the elimination of co-pays, saved the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The top 14 vote-getters for City Council will also run in the November elections.

Six of the seven City Council members are running for reelection, including Council President Leo T. Fontaine, Normand J. Laliberte Jr., J. Michel Martineau, William D. Schneck Jr., Suzanne Jean Vadenais and John F. Ward. Brian Blais announced in August that he would not seek reelection.

Challenging the incumbent council members are Christopher A. Beauchamp, Stella G. Brien, Daniel M. Gendron, Roger Harris, Roger G. Jalette Sr., Michael E. Moniz, Harvey F. Nabozny, Robert D. Phillips, Christopher M. Roberts, Edward M. Roy Jr., and Thomas W. Wrona.