Tom Riley Rejects Re-Election Bid
By Jerry Phillips
| Times Staff Writer
After days of speculation by
the pundits of City Hall, Mayor Tom Riley announced today that he will not
seek re-election at the end of his term in office.
"I think I've had enough,"
Riley said jovially in a press conference. "I want to get back to my farm
and horses."
"We'll miss Tom a lot,"
Councilman Dave Lambert said with tears in his eyes. "He leaves behind him a
legacy of integrity, strength, moral fortitude and a tower of ethical
magnitude. He's a pillar in this town."
"Don't mix your metaphors,"
Riley teased Lambert.
Riley, who denied that the
"Whit's End" scandal played a part in his decision not to run, confirmed
that it took its toll on him. "Just listen to those new tapes from the
Odyssey fellows. You'll hear firsthand what it did to me."
Riley refused to endorse any
particular candidate for the Mayor's office, but said that he might back
someone later if "the right person came along."
The announcement, which came
as no surprise to those closest to Mayor Riley, was made in the McAlister
Room at City Hall.
This
article originally appeared in "The Odyssey Times," a
special fictional newspaper produced by Focus on the Family to promote
Adventures in Odyssey.
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