After weeks of speculation, Matt Brown told The Free Press in an exclusive interview Thursday he won’t run for a second term as London mayor this fall. Brown sat down with city hall reporter Megan Stacey to discuss why he’s bowing out of the race and what’s next as he prepares to leave politics.

Q: You’ve always said you planned to run for re-election, so what’s changed?

It just feels like it’s time for me. I have been reflecting back on April as a significant month in my decision-making process. I decided to run for council in the first week of April 2010, I launched my mayoral campaign in April 2014, and as I reflect on what we’ve been able to accomplish as a council and as I look forward, this feels like the right time.

Q: People will say you’re just scared to lose.

That’s never a reason to run. That should never be part of the decision-making process. When I ran for Ward 7, I was definitely the underdog, up against an incumbent and past editor of The London Free Press. And when I ran for mayor . . . at the beginning of the campaign it would have been accurate to describe me as the underdog. The voters are never wrong.

Q: So, if you’re not afraid to go up against your challengers, why bow out now?

This should never be a career. I’ve had the opportunity to serve the London community for the better part of a decade. It’s a privilege and it also requires a great deal of sacrifice.

Q: You mention sacrifice. Is that playing into this decision?

It’s really about this being the right time for me. I could feel it in my gut when I ran for ward councillor. I could feel it in my gut when I ran for mayor in 2014, because our city was in a leadership vacuum and we needed to transition to something else . . . and I can feel today that I’m comfortable with my decision that it’s time.

Q: At what point did you decide not to go for two terms?

I think you’re always thinking about it. I spent a good deal of time over the holidays thinking about it . . . I’ve just been working my way toward this decision.

Q: Does this mean you’ve checked everything off your list? You’ve accomplished everything you set out to accomplish?

There are eight more months to go in this mandate. I will be laser focused on delivering everything that I possibly can with regard to the strategic plan. One of the advantages of not running is I won’t be distracted by a campaign.

Q: It seems like some of the folks, maybe even many of the folks, who helped your campaign last time aren’t willing to support you again. Is that fair to say?

As I contemplated the run, I got lots of support from many different areas in the community. Some of it was support from my previous team, and some of it was new support.

Q: Does this mean you’re done with politics?

For now. I think the cliche is you “never say never,” but I’m looking forward to the next chapter of my life, and I don’t expect that to include politics in the short-term.

Q: What will it include instead?

Starting Monday, I’m going to wake up and come to work and be the mayor of the City of London through to the end of my term. I’ll also be looking forward to other opportunities in the years to come.

Q: Will you go back to teaching?

Certainly, that’s a possibility.

Q: You weathered a very personal scandal — (an affair with Coun. Maureen Cassidy, then the deputy mayor) — during your time in office. Are you concerned your term will be marked by that?

I think that everything I’ve been able to accomplish, everything I’ve done over the course of this term will become part of my record. I accept that.

Q: We all know that one of the cornerstones of your campaign (in 2014) was this idea of bringing trust and bringing integrity back to the mayor’s office. How do you respond to those who say you haven’t done that?

I look at the record that council and I have been able to deliver on, I look at the work that we’ve done in many areas of community building and I’m really proud of that.

Q: You’re not concerned the affair will mar that record?

At the end of the day, Londoners will make up their own minds, and I accept that. I also think that Londoners will look at what we’ve been able to accomplish over the last three-and-a-half years, what we’re going to accomplish in the next six to eight months, and they’ll see that the city is in a different place than it was four years ago.

Q: Of what are you most proud?

Our council worked together to develop a strategic plan that is one of the most sophisticated strategic plans that any community across the province has seen. It’s linked to the first or one of the first multi-year budgets to ensure we were able to identify the priorities we wanted to move forward with, and make sure we’d have the money to pay for them.

Q: Let’s talk about rapid transit. You promised rapid transit and you delivered on that. Now you’re leaving, and it seems like the plan is in peril. Are you worried about the future of bus rapid transit (BRT)?

I’m not, no. The next and most important milestone in the rapid transit process is April 23 (at committee) and April 24 at council. Once we’ve given our final approval, the plan moves forward to the province and it’s out of our hands.

Q: But with none of the expected mayoral candidates standing up to back it, you’re really not worried?

One reason why I’ve provided so much space between now and the end of nominations is because I’m hopeful that another candidate will step up (for the Oct. 27 civic election) to continue with this same vision.

Q: Was it a mistake to tie yourself so closely to this BRT plan?

I believe really strongly that this is the right system for London. . . . This is the single largest investment our city has ever seen: $130 million from the municipality, $170 million that’s been provided by the province and an infrastructure program at the federal level that — although there’s a process that needs to be undertaken (to approve BRT) — looks to be a perfect fit.

Q: What’s been the best moment during the past four years?

I think what our community was able to accomplish with regard to the Syrian refugee crisis was one of the days that I was proudest of London. . . . We wanted to help a single family come from Syria to live in London. At the end of the day, we had raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Q: If you could do it over again, is there anything you’d change?

Hindsight is 20/20. But that’s not the reality. You always have to go with your best instincts based on the best knowledge that’s available for you at the time.

Q: So if you did have a magic wand, what would you tackle?

I look back at the rapid transit debate and there’s no question in my mind that we could have shortened the decision-making process between what mode of transportation (light rail or bus rapid transit), and I’ve said many times that we needed to do a better job communicating the overall program in the early days.

Q: Is it at all disappointing for you to leave at this point, with so many opposed to BRT, and with many who are going to point to your scandal in office?

No, I feel really good. I feel like it’s been a huge privilege to serve my community over the past seven-and-a-half years. I’m looking forward to the next eight months. This feels like the right time.

— This interview has been condensed and edited.