Rosemary Romero will leave city council after her term expires in March, opening her District 2 seat up next year.

"It's a tough decision," Romero tells SFR. "I feel like I've been a great councilor."

She cites family obligations—primarily taking care of an 86-year-old mother and two baby grandchildren—as her main reason for the leave. Romero says her brother has spent the majority of the time taking care of their mother, who isn't sick but is old enough to need care. 

She also wants to delve back into her private consulting work, which she says has taken a backseat to her work as a councilor. Some of Romero's consulting work in the past has included food policy and environmental mediation issues.

Her work as a councilor on regional issues—she sits on the board of the Buckman Direct Diversion and is a member of the Santa Fe Solid Waste Management Authority—has taken up the most of her time since assuming office three and a half years ago, Romero says. Dividing her city duties and consulting work could sometimes be a "roller coaster," she says, culminating in 80-hour workweeks. 

But she'll likely run for office again. "I'll be back in a different form," she says, but adds it will probably be a few years until then. One office she speculates on is the mayor's, depending on what current Santa Fe Mayor David Coss does, she says. Coss is up for reelection in 2014.

She also still has 6 months left to serve out her current term. "It's not like it's going to end tomorrow after this decision," Romero says. 

Frequent candidate Donaldo "Cove" Coviello and retired businessman and Santa Fe Southern Railway board member Bob Sarr have both expressed intentions to run for Romero's seat.