Residents of Salisbury’s District 4 will have a new City Council member following the Nov. 5 election after Councilman Jim Ireton did not file for re-election to his seat.

Now two candidates, Michele Gregory of Parkway Avenue and Jonathan Taylor of Mill Pond Lane, are vying to fill the spot.

Gregory, an early childhood educator who has lived in Salisbury for 20 years, said she plans to continue Ireton’s focus on neighborhoods if she is elected. Part of that effort would be to include informal meetings over coffee similar to ones hosted by Mayor Jake Day.

Overall, Gregory thinks the current mayor and council are doing a good job, and have made great improvements in terms of civility on the council. She said she doesn't want to see any backsliding into petty fighting as in years past.

While the city has been going in the right direction for the most part, Gregory would like to see a bigger push to build affordable housing in Salisbury.

“Rent in this city is kind of outrageous,” she said.

She believes city officials should do more to have face-to-face contact with neighborhood residents and do more to bring in federal programs, including one that allows Section 8 tenants to put money toward owning a home.

Taylor, a longtime local web log operator, declined to be interviewed.

A third candidate, Carol Smith of New York Avenue, withdrew her name shortly after the Aug. 20 filing deadline.

Councilman Muir Boda is unopposed for re-election in District 2.

A native of Tilghman Island, Boda is Vice President of the City Council and President of the Eastern Shore Association of Municipalities.

Among his and the council’s accomplishments, Boda lists plans for Main Street and the bike path, hosting the National Folk Festival, equipping police with body cameras, approving a pay structure for city employees, laying groundwork for converting city parking lots into privately developed projects and starting Housing First to help the homeless.

“With all that we have accomplished, there is still much more work to do over the coming years and I look forward to sharing those ideas, along with my continued advocacy for Salisbury and municipalities at the state and federal levels on the issues that affect us all,” Boda said.