Charleston Mayor Danny Jones' recommendation to fill a vacant seat on city council said Saturday that he has declined the offer.
Jones announced Friday that he gave the nod to Bobby Johnson, who works in sales for WCHS-TV, to fill the council seat for Ward 17, which encompasses Kanawha City.
A day later, Johnson said he appreciates the mayor's recommendation but will be unable to take the seat because of his current work and family obligations. Johnson said he met with Jones Saturday morning to discuss the position and decided now was not the proper time to serve on city council.
"I need to make sure I have the time to give my undivided attention to everything else I'm involved in," Johnson said. "But I am deeply honored that the mayor recommended me, and I give him and city council well wishes."
Ward 17 was represented by Rusty Webb until Tuesday, when he resigned to represent Charleston in a potential lawsuit against drug wholesalers.
In an interview Saturday evening, Jones said he doesn't have another recommendation to fill the seat at the moment.
"[Johnson has] got his jobs and his family to take care of," Jones said. "He just doesn't have the time."
Whoever fills the seat will finish Webb's term, which ends in November 2018 with the next city election.
Johnson said he hasn't ruled out a city council run in the future. He ran for an at-large seat in 2015 as a Republican, finishing last in a 10-candidate field.
In a previous statement, Jones said Johnson "shares my passion that we need to look to the next generations in making decisions about Charleston in the present for the future."
Outside of WCHS-TV, Johnson also works part-time for Delta Airlines and runs the youth community baseball program Trinity Baseball Academy.