Mayor Pete Buttigieg made national headlines on Monday, when he announced he will not seek a third term as South Bend’s mayor.

The news sparked speculation that Buttigieg may have his sights set on a 2020 presidential campaign. For now, the mayor remains quiet on whether he’s aiming for the White House, but in an interview with NewsCenter 16’s Tricia Sloma, he talked about welcoming new leadership to his beloved city.

Buttigieg admitted the decision to give up his seat was hard, but he knew he could not be mayor forever. Right now he is focused on continuing to grow South Bend’s economy.

The day of his announcement, the city broke ground on a new high rise apartment building. Buttigieg said there are also plans for a new grocery downtown and more office building. He said the city still has room to grow, and he is working on making sure the downtown growth matches the growth in the city’s neighborhoods.

On December 20, Buttigieg will head to Iowa, home of the first caucuses in the presidential nomination process, to speak at the Progress Iowa annual holiday party.

While his time as South Bend mayor may be coming to an end, he expressed his pride for the city, and his mission to carry his home with him, wherever his journey leads him.

“Serving the city has been the great honor of my life,” said Buttigieg. “If I run for anything in the future, South Bend is my message. It always has been.”