Tory councillor Robert Nemeth is stepping down from his duties after eight years of service.
Cllr Nemeth, who represents Wish Ward in Hove and is deputy leader of Brighton and Hove Conservatives, will quit in May at the next election.
He was first elected in 2015 and then re-elected in 2019 with an increased majority, both times alongside the late Garry Peltzer Dunn, who died in September last year.
He will be stepping back after two terms so he can spend more time with his young family and work on business ventures.
Cllr Nemeth has led for the Conservatives at the city council on a number of key policy areas including tourism, equalities, communities and culture and more recently as Tory spokesman for environment, transport and sustainability.
He said: “It’s been a wonderful honour to be elected twice for the Wish Ward alongside the great, late Garry Peltzer Dunn.
“I threw myself into the role, including getting involved with all the local community groups – and setting up more.
“The demands of a city councillor are long and hard and having given everything for the last eight years, I will now take a step back.
“This is something I’ve thought long and hard about but it is the right time. I have three young children and am in the middle of several intensive building projects alongside other business interests.
“I am proud of what I have achieved with Conservative colleagues and it has been a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anyone.
“The bee bricks and swift boxes initiatives which I introduced at a tourism, equalities, communities and culture committee meeting, have now gone national. It shows that you can make a difference as a councillor.
“The Hove Beacon, now lit up every night since the Queen’s Jubilee, has been a particular highlight and I will take much pleasure in watching the lasting impact of the Kingsway to the Sea initiative as it is rolled out.
“I will certainly remain active in the Brighton and Hove Conservative Party and look forward to helping where I can – just not as a councillor.”
Some of his work includes helping reveal that the council was issuing a fine every two minutes to unsuspecting motorists from a new experimental traffic order.
He has also been vocal on issues regarding weeds on the city’s 900km of pavements.
Cllr Nemeth called for transparency on a “secret document” – called the Memorandum of Understanding” – which allegedly contained details on how the Greens and Labour would run the city.
He has come under fire before, with nine complaints made about him after online exchanges over a story in the Daily Mail last February alleging that four primary schools in Brighton were urging staff to say “grown ups” rather than “mum” and “dad” to avoid stigmatising “non-traditional families”.
Cllr Nemeth founded the Friends of Hove Lagoon and Hove Beach Hut Association and co-founded the Secret Garden Group and Blooming Boundary Campaign.
Conservative group leader Steve Bell said: “Many issues simply would not have come to light without the work of Cllr Nemeth behind the scenes on behalf of residents.
“He has been a fantastic example of what is required of an opposition councillor, bringing to light issues with the taxpayer and residents’ services in mind."
It is not yet known who will stand for the Tories in his place.
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