It’s a four-way race for two seats on the St. Helena City Council.

In the waning hours before the filing deadline Wednesday, two people joined incumbent Joe Potter and former councilman Sampson Bowers in the run for office: Former Mayor Ken Slavens and St. Helena Multicultural Committee Chair Caterina Sanchez.

Councilmember Michael Novak will not seek a second term.

Novak said not running again was “a major decision” that was based on how busy he is with his family and his medical practice.

“I just don’t have the time to commit to the job,” he said. “I hope I’ve made St. Helena a little better place during my four years on the council.”

Novak and his wife have three children, ages 6, 4 and 2, who “need their daddy. Family’s got to come first.”

Novak said that as an active councilmember he doesn’t think it’s appropriate for him to endorse any candidates in the council or mayoral races. He referred to the two mayoral candidates, incumbent Del Britton and Councilmember Bonnie Schoch, as “both more than qualified to do the job.”

Bowers said he decided to file for a council seat after approaching numerous other people who he thought should run. He said they all refused for various reasons.

“I decided there had to be someone to challenge the incumbents,” said Bowers. When he filed last week he was unsure whether Novak would seek another term.

Bowers served one term on the council from 1999 to 2003. Since losing a bid for mayor to Slavens in 2003, he’s maintained a prominent role in St. Helena politics — mainly as spokesperson for the Living Rivers Council, which opposed the city’s flood project.

He said he’s also kept close tabs on city issues such as housing, the general plan update and the new skatepark.

“I think I’d be a better city councilmember than I was before because I’m much more well-informed now about what’s going on in the city,” he said. “I do my homework now.”

Bowers said he’ll run a low-key campaign with no advertising, no committees and no door-to-door campaigning. In lieu of campaign donations, he requested that people donate to the Rianda House Senior Center in his name.

Sanchez is the property manager at Stonebridge Apartments and has frequently spoken out in favor of affordable housing and on behalf of local Hispanic citizens.

In November the city council voted to reject a planned condominium conversion after Sanchez and a group of Stonebridge residents told the council the move would eliminate much-needed rentals for working families.

“I want to run because I feel it’s an extension of my commitment to the Multicultural Committee,” said Sanchez. “I feel I’ve gotten a lot of experience in how to understand city issues, and I want to take it to another level.”

As early as last December Britton was encouraging Sanchez to run. On Tuesday Bowers said he’s endorsing Sanchez, who he called “a very bright person” who’s worked hard at Stonebridge and on the Multicultural Committee.

Slavens said he decided to run when he saw the apparent lack of interest in the council race. On Friday it appeared that Potter and Bowers would be the only candidates for the two available seats.

“I’ve been concerned with how things have went the last four years, with us not proceeding with infrastructure projects like the wastewater treatment plant and improving water supply in St. Helena, as well as finishing projects that have been approved for quite some time … like the flood project,” he said.

Slavens hasn’t taken a visible role in St. Helena politics since losing his mayoral seat to Britton in 2005 after serving three terms. He was first elected to the council in 1994, and became mayor in 1999. During his time on the council he was a strong proponent of the flood project.

Slavens, who retired last year from his job with Carpenters Union Local 751, is also seeking another term as the Area 6 trustee for the Napa County Office of Education, where he’s served since 2006.

Slavens said that job doesn’t involve a major time commitment, so he’ll have enough time to devote to the council if he’s elected.