Clark Howard says he won’t run for mayor

Clark Howard has decided not to try his penny-pinching ways at Atlanta City Hall.

The multi-media consumer adviser said he has decided not to run for mayor next year, after flirting with the idea for more than a year.

Howard said he feared the demands of the job would force him to spend less time with his 3-year-old son and 9-year-old daughter.

“You only have one shot at raising your kids and I’ll have another shot when I’m older to run for public service,” Howard, 53, said in a telephone interview late Tuesday.

Howard also has a 19-year-old daughter.

Howard, who lives near Howell Mill Road in northwest Atlanta, believes the city could be better run if it considers privatizing more services.

The current mayor, Shirley Franklin, is prohibited by city law from running for a third consecutive term.

Howard has a radio show weekdays on WSB, which is owned by Cox Enterprises, the parent company of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

In August, City Council President Lisa Borders, who had been considered the front-runner among announced candidates, withdrew from the race to succeed Franklin.

She also cited family issues, saying she needed to spend more time with aging parents.

At the time, Borders’ departure from the race left three elected officials in the running: City Council members Ceasar Mitchell and Mary Norwood and state Sen. Kasim Reed (D-Atlanta), who managed both of Franklin’s campaigns.