ST. LOUIS • Former three-term St. Louis mayor Vince Schoemehl, who hasn’t held public office since the 1990s, is considering an attempt at a mayoral comeback.

After the surprise announcement last month that four-term Mayor Francis Slay won’t seek re-election, Schoemehl said a number of people have reached out to him to consider running for the job in 2017.

Schoemehl appears to be giving it some thought. He declined to answer questions from a reporter, but provided a statement to the Post-Dispatch that reads: “Some friends have suggested I consider running for Mayor again because they believe my previous 12 years as Mayor provides me with a unique perspective on the City and the St. Louis region. I would do this only if I believed I could immediately begin to work on strategic regional issues such as race relations following the Ferguson Commission report, City/County reunification and other regional issues that could benefit the City and the Region.”

He added: “So, I have looked at this race but I am not yet convinced I could be all that helpful, but I have several other people I intend to speak over with over the next several weeks before I make any final decision.”

Schoemehl, 69, served three terms as mayor from 1981 to 1993.