Two Salem businesswomen are the first confirmed contenders for a seat on Salem's city council.

Newcomer Lisa Garst announced Monday that she is running for a city council position. Incumbent Jane Johnson confirmed she is planning to run for re-election.

Salem City Council members are elected at large and serve four-year terms. Three of five council members -- Johnson, Mayor Howard Packett and Councilman Chris Clemens -- will see their terms expire this year.

Packett said he doesn't plan to seek re-election.

Clemens, a lawyer, is considered a front-runner for a Roanoke-area judgeship that will open this year.

So far, Johnson and Garst are the only two people who have picked up applications for city council seats, city spokeswoman Melinda Payne said Monday.

Garst, 41, has been active in Salem since moving there from Covington with her husband in 1999. One of the first things she did was work with the city council to have a bike path added to Hawthorn Road. Now, she said, she and her neighbors can walk or jog without fear of the traffic along the busy street.

Among the things she would want to look into if elected to the council, she said, are lowering tax rates, promoting smart development and encouraging more residents to participate in city government.

"I just feel like this is a great opportunity for some fresh ideas," Garst said.

Vinton Town Manager Kevin Boggess will become Salem's city manager on March 1. Another new member will fill Packett's seat.

With those changes, "experience is going to count for a lot," Johnson said.

"There's a learning curve," she said.

Johnson, 50, represents Salem on the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority board, and said she wants to see that and other planned projects come to fruition.

"I just feel that we've gotten a lot done in the last four years," she said. She hopes to continue that work "if the people will have me."

The filing deadline is March 4, Payne said.