WEST WARWICK -- The five ward races for Town Council this year may seem a bit familiar to voters; of the 10 candidates seeking a slot on the council, 3 candidates are running for the same seat they vied for unsuccessfully in 2004, 3 candidates are incumbents and the rest have been constant figures at recent council meetings.

Voters in Ward 3 will see incumbent Democrat Edward A. Giroux, of 33 Earl St., face off against Republican Karen L. Warfield in a race that mirrors the 2004 election, where Warfield launched an unsuccessful bid.

Warfield, 44, is the assistant to the director of diversity and community affairs at Textron in Providence. She is a Foxboro, Mass., native and lives at 49 West St. with her husband of 12 years, Glenn.

"If I am elected, residents would get an impartial representative," she said. "Someone who is impartial on all decisions and makes choices based on what's best for the town -- and I really mean it."

Warfield said she would use her position on the council to focus on reducing property taxes by re-evaluating the tax rate and "shifting the burden to absentee landlords and large apartment landlords." She said she would also keep a watchful eye on zoning laws to discourage developers who want to build several houses on small lots, crowding the area. She would also like to see the Arctic Redevelopment District regain momentum and bring more economic development to the town.

She faces current council Vice President Democrat Edward A. Giroux, 56. A native of Smithfield, Giroux is seeking his second full term. Giroux is the director of network and information systems for the state Department of Education. He and his wife, Gerri, have two children, Danny, 27; and Jessica, 28.

If reelected, Giroux said he would focus on keeping municipal spending down, adequately funding the town pension, decreasing taxes by bringing in more businesses to town and spending less in the town budget. Giroux said he would like to stay on the council to see projects such as the Royal Mills condominiums and the teen center come to fruition. He pointed to the progress the town has seen during his last tenure as well as his background in business and accounting as reasons to keep him on the council.

Giroux is in favor of the proposed Narragansett Indian and Harrah's-backed casino, and said he believes it could potentially provide a rebirth of the town. However, he said, "We need people who talk about West Warwick to have an impression that this is a desirable place to live. I think we can do that with or without the casino to make people proud to say they're from West Warwick."

@el3

Voters in Ward 4 will choose between incumbent Republican Leo J. Costantino Jr., of 79 Crompton Ave., and Democrat Filomena "Phyllis" Gustafson, of 183 Lockwood St., the same race they saw two years ago.

A former Marine, Costantino, 62, is now "semi-retired"; he teaches skiing in the winter and coaches a sailing team at Moses Brown School in Providence during the rest of the year. Costantino has been married for 38 years to his wife, Cheryl. The two have a 34-year-old son, Eric.

Costantino, seeking his third term as councilman, says adequately funding the town municipal pension, and revitalizing the effort to bring more businesses to Arctic and the West Warwick business park are among his major concerns.

"I'm the candidate who is focused on issues," Costantino said. "I have a proven record; I've worked hard and been accessible. All voters know they have to pick up the phone to reach me. I've done the job I've been elected to do over the last four years."

If elected, Gustafson, 59, said she would focus on providing property tax cuts to residents and improving the roads that need the most work in town. She doesn't have a stance on the casino, saying she would support whatever voters decide.

Gustafson retired from her company, R&P Jewelry in West Warwick, as a jewelry designer. Now, she spends her days volunteering at the town senior center and the Sons of Italy. She unsuccessfully ran for the council seat in 2004.

"I feel it's time for a change," Gustafson said. "I think I can do a better job to help people in Ward 4. I can give them 100 percent of my time."

In Ward 1 , a former candidate and a current member of the town Planning Board are vying for the open seat.

Democrat Angelo A. Padula Jr., 52, of 554 Wakefield St., lives with his companion, Penelope S. Asermely and her 6-year-old son, Zachary. He owns Angelo Padula & Son Auto Parts, is a partner of Angelo Padula & Son Auto Sales, and owns a number of rental properties across the area. He serves on the town Planning Board and is a member of the West Warwick Democratic Town Committee.

"I've been a lifelong resident," Padula said. "My heart and soul is here. I'll be the voice of the people -- I have no town job, no state job. I won't be for the special interests; I'll be for the people and the people only."

Padula said he would focus on lowering the tax rate for the elderly by cutting wasteful spending in town, reducing the flooding in the Natick section by securing grants for improvements, and working to quell the smell that comes from the wastewater treatment facility at 1 Pontiac Ave.

He's facing Republican David F. Gaipo, a Warwick native, who has lived in West Warwick since 2000 and ran unsuccessfully for the Town Council seat in 2004. Gaipo, 36, lives at 580 Wakefield St. with his wife, Jacqueline, and their three children; David Jr., 17; Ashley, 8; and Christopher, 7.

"I'll be a good, strong, honest voice for the people, which is something they haven't had in the past," Gaipo said. "People are ready to have a councilman that pays attention to what the needs are in the town and who is a strong, sensible voice for people in the first ward."

If elected, Gaipo, a manager for a water and wastewater utility company, said he would focus on securing the money to pave dilapidated roads in the area and look to bring some form of economic development into Arctic and the industrial park, should the casino be voted down.

@el3

The Ward 2 race is the only one offering voters two new faces and names on the ballot. Democrat David Gosselin Jr., 33, of 4 Monte Clare St. faces off against Republican David M. Cerrullo, 52, of 110 Greene St.

Gosselin, a graduate of Coventry High School and a current supervisor at Cox Communications, has been married to his wife, Robin, for five years and they have two children together, 8-year-old D.J., and Rachel, 3.

Improving the physical and safety conditions for local roads, decreasing taxes by securing grants from the government for local expenses, and curbing the influx of development to the area are the major concerns Gosselin said he would focus on should he be elected.

"I'm an honest guy; I've told everyone straight forward how I feel," Gosselin said. "I'll bring [to the council] my business knowledge from working for Cox and common sense; not just politics."

Cerrullo's concerns mirror those of his opponents; decreasing taxes and closely monitoring local developments. Among his ideas for lowering taxes are capping government spending at 2.5 percent each year and combing through the finances of the town to see where money could possibly be cut.

"The people of West Warwick are looking for a new beginning," Cerullo said, "especially as we go into the 21st century. We have a lot of policy and attitudes rooted in the past. They need to look to someone with a vision on where we need to go in the future. They can look to me for that."

Cerullo, a Cranston native, has lived in West Warwick for 30 years with his wife, Margaret. They have four children: Tegan, 27; Matthew, 25; Darren, 20; and Maurice, 18. Cerullo works as a commercial loan counselor for a Citizen's Financial Group. He temporarily stepped down as chairman of the West Warwick Republican Town Committee to focus on his campaign, but said if he is elected, he will reclaim his current position.

Republican Mark E. Bourget, 37, and Democratic incumbent Peter F. Calci Jr., 56, will face off for the Ward 5 seat in the upcoming election.

A Woonsocket native, Bourget, of 3 Meggan Court, lives with his wife, Katrina. They have two children, Thomas, 18, and Amber 14. The Bourgets have also served as foster parents for the last four years. Bourget received his associate's degree in criminal justice from the Community College of Rhode Island in 1997, and has served as a police officer in East Providence for seven years.

Bourget, who is anti-casino, said if elected he would focus on shifting the tax burden from single-family homeowners to landlords of multi-family homes, call for an audit of the town finances to make sure money is being allocated properly and work to create a standardized schedule for yard-waste pickup. Bourget said he would also look into creating wards for School Committee members to run for reelection, in an effort to create more accountability and make it easier for parents to know who is accountable.

"My biggest strength as a newcomer is that I don't owe any political favors," Bourget said. "I can just do my job the way it's supposed to be done. I don't want to be a politician; I want to be a public servant."

Calci, of 260 East Greenwich Ave., is a residential landlord and lives with his wife, Patricia. They have two children, Pamela, 26, and Peter III, 22. Before retiring, he worked for Almacs grocery store for 30 years, serving as a store manager for 17 years. He volunteered on the tax structure review commission, charter review commission and town manager search committee prior to joining the council.

Calci, who is anti-casino and has been instrumental in negotiating the host agreement between the town and Harrah's Entertainment for the proposed casino, said he would focus widening or adding sidewalks to East Greenwich and Greenbush avenues, moving the rescue squad to the Arctic fire station to cut down on response times to Ward 5, and automating trash pickups in some areas of the town, allowing some sanitation employees to focus on collecting yard waste during regular business hours.

"I have a lot of things started that I want to continue," Calci said, pointing to the Riverwalk, the town senior center and teen drop-in center, as well as a proposal he plans to present to pay for playground equipment at Greenbush School.

"There are still a lot of positive things to look forward to," he said.