Today South Taranaki District Mayor Ross Dunlop announced that he will not be standing for re-election at the upcoming October Local Authority elections.
Ross says he's put a lot of thought into the decision, and he believes the time is right to stand down.
"It's been an absolute privilege to have represented my community, but the time is right for me to stand aside and spend more time with the family and get stuck into those projects I've been putting off."
"I've dedicated a lot of my time and energy to my community, 21 years as a Councillor and 12 years as Mayor and now I think it's time to move on to other things," he says.
"What made the decision easier is that the Council is in very good heart. It's in a strong financial position, has clear plans for taking the district forward and has an effective team of governors and managers."