AUBURN — Jonathan Labonte said he still plans to mount a campaign to win the mayor’s position, even though he is the only candidate that will appear on the ballot this November.

“I think there’s been a lot of frustration over the last couple of years over the attitude of the current council,” Labonte said. “There is plenty of time between now and getting elected and sworn in to have some conversation with people about where they want to see the city go.”

Thursday was the deadline for candidates for city office — the mayor’s job, city councilors and school committee members — to collect their last signatures and hand them in to City Clerk Roberta Fogg.

Along with Labonte, Ward 2 incumbent Robert Hayes, Ward 3 candidate Mary LaFontaine and Ward 4 incumbent David Young will also be unopposed on the ballot.

But Fogg said there is a chance write-in candidates will step forward for all of those seats. In 2007, Auburn Mayor John Jenkins won re-election as a write-in candidate.

“Just because their name is not on the ballot does not mean someone won’t decide to run,” Labonte said. “They could still choose to run as a write-in.”

But while the mayor’s race appears settled, the race for the city’s two at-large council seat is crowded.

Five candidates qualified for the ballot: incumbent Belinda Gerry, J. Michael Lemay of 81 Fern St., Jeremiah Bartlett of 107 Shepley St., Joshua Shea of 30 Paul St., and Ron Potvin of 82 Northern Ave.

Shea, on hand at Auburn Hall on Thursday as the deadline passed, called for increasing the tax base without raising taxes.

“I think my No. 1 issue is going to be letting people know we certainly won’t be trying to raise taxes,” Shea said. “What we need to do is be more creative bringing in more business, in bringing in visitors and new residents. Expanding the tax base does not mean doing it on the backs of the taxpayers.”

In Ward 5, two names will appear on the ballot. Leroy Walker Sr., of 41 Broad St., will face Evan Cyr of 245 Broad St.

Cyr, a science teacher at Edward Little High School, would not be able to serve and keep his job, Fogg said. The city has received legal opinions from the city’s attorney and the Maine Municipal Association and both agree.

“They say a teacher in the school district is an employee of the city,” Fogg said.

Cyr can still appear on the ballot, but would be asked to choose his job or the council seat if he wins.

“But he has every right to run,” she said.

Two seats on the Auburn School Committee picked up no candidates. They include one of two at-large seats and the Ward 1 seat. Fogg said the sitting City Council could select and appoint people to those seats if no write-in candidates are elected.

Three School Committee members will appear on ballot unopposed. They are incumbents at-large member Francois Bussiere, Ward 3 member Tom Kendall and Ward 5’s Lawrence Pelletier.

In Ward 4, Tracey Levesque, a critic of the School Committee’s decision to equip kindergarten students with iPad 2s, will be unopposed on the ballot. Levesque is a member of the group Auburn Citizens for Responsible Education.

In Ward 2, veteran board member Bonnie J. Hayes will face Beth Favreau, of 481 Park Ave.

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