BAKERSFIELD MAYOR WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION

Bakersfield Mayor Harvey Hall has ended months of speculation by city staff in announcing he will not be running for a fifth term.

At a news conference in his downtown office on Tuesday, Hall explained he made the decision so he could spend more time with his family. He is the longest serving mayor in Bakersfield’s history.

Hall was first elected in 2000 on a platform which included city beautification, a project he has undertaken with initiatives like “Keep Bakersfield Beautiful” and the monthly “Mayor’s Freeway Cleanup”.

Hall said he will be personally interviewing mayoral candidates in March before deciding on who he will endorse in the general election.