Columbus City Council member Jim Lienhoop will announce that he is running for mayor at an event Saturday.
The Republican will challenge current mayor and fellow republican Kristen Brown.
Disagreements over Brown's demotion of former Parks Director Ben Wagner led several parks board members to leave their posts, a trend that Lienhoop wants to change.
"I think we're also interested in trying to stem the flow of talent from city hall, we've seen an awful lot of people leave the last several years, and decades worth of institutional knowledge that's walked out the door, and I think we can stem that tide," Lienhoop said.
Lienhoop said he also has plans to improve the city's economy by attracting new business and being more fiscally responsible.