Over the past year, I have been asked three different times to run for public office.

The first was for a third term as councillor.

The second was for mayor.

The third was for the Ontario legislature in a by-election.

Each conversation was serious. Each opportunity was worth considering. And each time, after a great deal of thought, I declined.

That may seem unusual in modern politics.

We’re often told that ambition is the natural progression of public life. A councillor should want to be mayor. A mayor should want to be an MPP. An MPP should want to be an MP. There is always another rung on the ladder.

Yet the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wasn’t interested in climbing a ladder.

I was thinking about tours of duty.

I’ve never believed public office should automatically become a lifelong career. In fact, I’ve often worried that politics has become too much of a profession and not enough of a calling.

For most of our history, people entered public life after building careers elsewhere. They brought experience from business, farming, education, healthcare, manufacturing, law, and countless other fields. They served for a period of time and then returned to their communities, workplaces, and families.

Politics was something they did. It wasn’t who they were.

I worry we’ve lost some of that perspective.

The longer someone remains exclusively in politics, the easier it becomes to see the world through political institutions rather than through the experiences of the people those institutions serve.

That doesn’t make career politicians bad people. Many are talented, dedicated and hardworking. But there is real value in leaders who regularly step in and out of public office, bringing fresh experiences with them each time.

In my own case, some of the most valuable lessons I have brought to council came from outside council.

Working in government taught me how public institutions operate.

Working in the private sector taught me about budgets, competition, risk and accountability.

Serving on boards and community organizations taught me governance, consensus-building and the importance of stewardship.

Those experiences made me a better councillor than I would have been otherwise.

Today, they are also pulling me toward a different chapter.

That doesn’t mean I have lost interest in public service. Quite the opposite.

I continue to believe deeply in giving back to the community. I continue to serve on boards, volunteer with organizations and support causes I care about. Public service remains a central part of my life.

What has changed is my understanding of where I can contribute most effectively right now.

When people asked whether I would run again, I found myself returning to the same conclusion: it’s somebody else’s turn.

Not because I lack confidence in my ability to do those jobs. Not because those opportunities weren’t flattering. Not because public service no longer matters to me.

Rather, because healthy democracies need renewal.

They need new voices, new perspectives and new leaders willing to step forward.

Most of all, they need people who understand that public service is larger than any one office.

The goal should never be to hold elected office forever.

The goal should be to serve well, make a positive difference, and then know when your tour of duty is complete.

For me, that time has arrived.