Ballina mayor Phillip Silver will not contest the next council election in September, he announced yesterday.
Cr Silver has been a Ballina Shire councillor for 20 years, having first been elected at a by-election in 1992. He has been in the top job since 2002.
Mayor Silver is currently president of the Northern Rivers Regional Organisation of Councils (NOROC) and, since October last year, chair of Rous Water. He has been on the Rous Water council for 15 years.
Cr Silver says he is looking forward to spending more time with his family, who farm avocados on the Alstonville plateau.