Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt hasn't ruled out a re-election bid, will decide by October

GREEN BAY - Mayor Jim Schmitt says he'll make a final decision by fall on whether to seek a fifth term.

Schmitt announced in November that he likely would not run again for the city's top job, but he left open the possibility depending on who enters the 2019 mayoral race to replace him.

In an interview this week with the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Schmitt said he isn't leaning toward running again, but he wants more time to see who might be on the ballot.

That should be by October — about six months from Election Day.

"Like many people I’m interested in learning more and I’m going to hold my cards for the near future," Schmitt said.

The field of candidates for the post so far includes City Council President Mark Steuer, state Rep. Eric Genrich, D-Green Bay, and city resident Nick Mortensen.

RELATED: Mark Steuer to run for Green Bay mayor, Tom De Wane opts out of race

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Brown County Board members Patrick Buckley and Patrick Evans also are mulling a run and are expected to make their decisions later this month.

Schmitt first suggested that he wouldn't seek a fifth term in late 2016, after he was convicted of three counts of violating state campaign finance law during his 2015 re-election campaign.

RELATED: After conviction, Schmitt may not seek re-election

Under a plea agreement, Schmitt was charged with three misdemeanor counts of attempting to commit a felony elections law violation. He was ordered to shut down his campaign committee and donate the $23,000 remaining in his campaign account to the state's Common School Fund. He was also ordered to pay a $4,000 fine and serve 40 hours of community service.

Since then, Schmitt has said on several occasions that he would enter the race if he didn't think the candidates were qualified to be mayor.

This week he opined briefly about the slate of mayoral hopefuls thus far. Of those who have declared candidacy or expressed interest in the race, at least one would not be qualified, Schmitt said.

He declined to identify which person he was referring to.

"There’s some people who’ve put their name in who would not be good for the city of Green Bay," Schmitt said.

Asked whether any of the declared or prospective candidates would make a good mayor, Schmitt said he may weigh in closer to the election and he urged voters to make up their own minds.

As that process unfolds, the City Council could begin deliberations on term limits.

Schmitt, Green Bay's longest-serving mayor, has proposed that the mayor and council members be limited to holding office for no more than 12 consecutive years.

That measure will likely go before the council in July, according to Schmitt, who will have been mayor for 16 years when his term ends next year. The council would need to decide whether the term limits, if approved, would apply retroactively.