"It’s hard to say what’s next," South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg told NewsCenter 16's Joshua Short in a one-on-one interview.

But one thing we do know for sure is that Buttigieg won’t be South Bend’s mayor for much longer.

We’re now just months away from voters choosing his successor, and Buttigieg has no illusions about the unfinished work he’s leaving for the city’s next mayor.

"I want to make sure that people know I have a very active sense of the unfinished business too," Buttigieg said.

He added: "Whenever you leave office, you look at the things that you wish could be completed. You trust and hope that those who come after you will continue that work. So, when you think about the challenges that are still with us, challenges around income inequality, racial inequality, challenges around homelessness, public health, I know that no one person can do it. I believe I’ve done my part to help, but I hope people know I’m not naive about the work that remains to be done."

As he moves onto the next phase of his career, Buttigieg doesn’t see his role in the future of South Bend diminishing, just changing form.

"As somebody who’s always going to think of South Bend as home, I want to do my part as president to help with those issues," he said. "But now, when it comes to this city ... she finds her way forward."