A new candidate has entered the race to be Madison’s next mayor.

Steve Smith, Madison’s current city administrator, announced Tuesday he will seek the office. Smith is a former two-term city councilor, where he sat on the finance committee and served as council president.

“As mayor, I will be focused on solving the issues that matter most to our residents,” Smith said Tuesday.

Mayor Paul Finley said in October he would not seek a fourth term. Ranae Bartlett, a current city councilor and former city school board member, announced her candidacy in March.

Smith, who has lived in Madison more than 31 years, named the city’s traffic as a top challenge as well as “a major frustration.” He vowed to pursue funding for road improvements.

“I’ll work with regional and state partners to get the funding we deserve to invest in our infrastructure, fixing our chokepoints and moving traffic more freely,” he said.

Smith also said he would, “fight to protect the revenue our schools rely on” – a reference to the city’s half-cent sales tax passed in 2009 to cover debt payments for the construction of James Clemens High School. Three years later, having benefited from a more favorable bond loan, the city allowed funds raised by the half-cent sales tax to be put toward general school district expenses. But the initial sales tax provision sunsets in 2027.

“We’ve got to find a way to secure a portion of that to help maintain our schools,” Smith said.

Smith said he has enjoyed serving the mayor and council as city administrator, and he decided to run because he felt he was the right choice to lead the city.

“I will put a stop to special interest groups trying to exert undue influence over Madison, such as the failed election to hire a city manager,” he said. “We cannot let the personal agendas of a few override the will of Madison’s residents.”