Mayor says its time to step aside and focus on family, after two terms at the city's helm.

THUNDER BAY -- Thunder Bay Mayor Keith Hobbs says he will not be seeking re-election on next year's municipal ballot.

Hobbs made the announcement during Monday's city council debate over a $5-million debenture to help build a $33-million art gallery on the city's waterfront.

"I'm not running again next election so I don't care about votes, but I care about moving this city forward," Hobbs said.

Hobbs was elected mayor in 2010 and re-elected in 2014.

The former police officer has advocated for the proposed Thunder Bay Event and Convention Centre as a focus of his mayoralty

"I've always believed that the art gallery will be a jewel again on the waterfront, just as an event centre across the road from it will be," Hobbs said.

"I've got a lot of emails saying they're going to threaten me with the loss of election as mayor. I don't really care. It's time to leave the naysayers behind in this community and move this community forward.

"I don't want roads to nothing or nowhere. That's our biggest issue we get is, our roads are crappy but you know what? I want roads to something and somewhere and this art gallery will be a road to something and somewhere. So will the event centre."