At the age of 76, Mayor Larry Wolgast is ready to hand his seat to a younger successor.

"After a great deal of consideration, I have decided I will not serve the people of Topeka in another term as mayor," Wolgast said Wednesday during an interview at his City Hall office. "It has been a difficult decision. I have been asked by many people — friends, neighbors, community leaders — to serve again."

Fresh legs are needed to lead the city for the next four years, he said. The mayor intends to "remain very involved" in the community and has been discussing with friends several possibilities for doing so.

Lanky and lean from running marathons and hiking in the Rocky Mountains, Wolgast has more energy than most 76-year-olds. Still, he is reminded of his age. When the aging rock band Kansas returned to Topeka last year, guitarist Richard Williams recalled his time as a student of Wolgast at Topeka West. He also taught band co-founder Kerry Livgren.

Wolgast publicly announced his decision to leave local politics after about nine years Friday in his office, flanked by several family members. After hugging his wife, Anita, he became solemn and knocked on his desk lightly.

"Well," he said shaking his head.

The city is in good place to choose new leadership, Anita said, adding that she welcomed his decision to retire.

"You know, this is a 24/7 job," she said. "It gets exhausting after a while."

By announcing now that the mayor’s chair will be open, Wolgast hopes to give prospective candidates ample time to consider a run before the June 1 filing deadline. The mayor said he has no plans to choose a successor or endorse a candidate. He anticipates Topeka voters will have plenty of options.

"There is one person who has announced for mayor and I’m sure there will be many (candidates). The important thing is the voice of the people. The people determine who the next mayor will be," he said.

The next mayor should be a strong leader who understands Topeka and knows how to include voices from the city’s diverse communities, Wolgast said Friday.

"There are people who say they still haven’t had any say in the city," he said.

Mark Weiser, 55, is running as a Republican. Weiser is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump who has led "Make America Great Again" rallies across the city in recent months.

"The citizens of Topeka have concerns regarding crime and safety, small business development, and neighborhood improvement," Weiser wrote in a news release announcing his candidacy.

Primary elections will be held Aug. 1 and the general election Nov. 7 for the mayor’s office and six Topeka City Council districts. Seventy percent of the city’s governing body will be decided that day.

Ask Wolgast to name the chief accomplishment of his first term and you will quickly receive an answer. Downtown, he said, has become "a microcosm of how the city has changed, how it has moved ahead."

"It’s an excellent example of a public-private partnership that all communities have to have. You don’t do great things without that relationship of the private sector with the public sector. It brings about an improved quality of life that we are realizing," he said.

Those who have sought unsuccessfully to place Wolgast’s name on the 2017 ballot have done so, in large part, to maintain the momentum of downtown development, the mayor said. Though he will only occupy Room 350 at City Hall for another eight months, Wolgast anticipates a continuation of that momentum.

"Nothing ever continues perfectly but you have to keep working at it by leadership, by engaging people, by recognizing that everybody has a voice and every voice is important. That includes all elements of the community," he said, offering advice for his successor.

Running on a platform of public safety, neighborhood development and infrastructure, Wolgast was first elected in 2013 by an overwhelming margin over opponents Michael Allen Ogle and Betty Dunn. He previously represented District 5 in south Topeka for a single city council term and served as deputy mayor for one year.

In 2015, Wolgast voted to allow the city manager to move the city closer to a purchase of financially troubled Heartland Park Topeka. The mayor was in the minority; the council opted against the purchase and the racetrack has reemerged under new private ownership. Wolgast said he doesn’t look back at what went wrong or what could have been but is confident in the racetrack’s future.

The man who has been the public face of Topeka — or, at least, of its city government — for the past four years will miss the job. Mayoralty was a "rewarding experience" and "tremendous opportunity," he said.

He considers among his accomplishments the appointment of the first Native-American resident to a city board or commission, as well as the first Muslim and several LGBT residents. By his count, Wolgast has appointed about 240 people to the two dozen boards or commissions, bolstering the ranks of women, African-Americans and Hispanics.

"Topeka is a city, I’m hopeful, where everyone is welcome and appreciated. We show respect for everyone. When we have that type of city, it’s stronger," he said.

Reporter Luke Ranker contributed to this report.