Stephen R. Chapin Sr. said yesterday that he will not seek a third term on the Westminster Common Council.

"I served eight years, and I had a great experience," Chapin said. "But we need some fresh blood and somebody with new ideas and energy."

Yesterday was the deadline to file for the May 10 election. Four candidates are competing for three open seats on the five-member panel.

Incumbents Gregory Pecoraro, who was appointed in 1994 to fill a vacancy and was elected to a full term in May 1995, and first-term Councilwoman Suzanne Albert are seeking re-election. Pecoraro is an assistant secretary at the Maryland Department of Transportation. Albert is director of West End Place, an adult day services facility in Westminster.

Also running are Kevin E. Dayhoff, chairman of the Carroll County Environmental Affairs Advisory Board, and Sgt. Frank E. Wagner Jr., a 20-year veteran of the Baltimore Police Department and Westminster resident for six years.