![After almost two decades on Kiama council, Mayor Neil Reilly has decided to step down and not contest the September election. Picture by Anna Warr After almost two decades on Kiama council, Mayor Neil Reilly has decided to step down and not contest the September election. Picture by Anna Warr](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/4FavSveeQdYEHssZq5umRQ/8a97e036-4591-49f7-b4bf-71df28f24d1c.jpg/r0_248_4850_3233_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Kiama Mayor Neil Reilly will not be contesting the coming September council election.
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Cr Reilly, who had been on the council for 17 years, didn't agree with the idea that he'd left the decision one term too late - an earlier retirement would have meant he'd avoid the tumult of the current council.
Rather, he felt staying on for that current term was the right thing to do.
"Before the end of the last term I saw a financial storm brewing on the horizon, that was unpredictable and had lightning flashing in the dark clouds," Cr Reilly said.
"And I thought, well, this is my job. This is my job now. And, together with the CEO and the staff and the councillors, that job was done."
He saw those "dark clouds of financial gloom" starting to lift and felt now was the right time to step down.
"I think that the legacy that I leave behind is not one of bright shiny objects that need a lot of maintenance, but one of financial stability and accountability," Cr Reilly.
"One of the things that we have done from day one was to reveal to those people who are concerned - the Audit Office, TCorp and the Office of Local Government - that we were in strife.
"But we didn't do that until we knew we had a way out, a plan that the council would follow to bring that about.
"And that was the original Strategic Improvement Plan. I think that all of those agencies, that's the Office of Local Government, the auditor, TCorp and even the minister's office themselves, have recognised the work that we've done and know that we're on the right course for improvement and prosperity."
While Cr Reilly suffered health issues earlier this year - he took a month's leave to recover from treatment for cancer related to a melanoma - he said that wasn't a factor in his decision to call it a day.
"My health is excellent," he said.
"My age is 71, I've been in council 17 years ... it's time to take a curtain call, take a bow and move into the background and let younger and probably more proficient people take on the mantle of council."