Oak Harbor Mayor Scott Dudley is out, but City Councilman Jim Campbell is in.

Dudley announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election this fall, though he previously said there was a strong chance he would.

Campbell announced the same day that he has decided to run for mayor, partly because he didn’t want Councilman Bob Severns to run unopposed. Severns announced earlier this year that he is running for mayor.

Many people in the community have asked him to throw his hat into the ring, Campbell said. As a former senior manager at Lockheed, he said he’s an experienced and professional administrator.

“A good manager surrounds himself with good people and gets out of the way,” he said.

Dudley may be leaving city politics behind, but said he still has some fight in him. He said he believes he would win if he ran again, but it would be pointless if the same council members are in office.

Dudley and the majority of the council have been at odds over a long series of issues, from his decision to fire a number of department managers and his effort to cut elected officials’ benefits, to his proposal to divert chamber of commerce funding, and even the construction of a crosswalk.

“We have a council that continues to fight me every step of the way,” he said, adding that Campbell is the one council member who put the community ahead of politics.

“What will it matter if I’m in office if we continue to have Councilman Almberg, Councilwoman Munns and Councilwoman Tara Hizon on the council?” he asked rhetorically.

Rick Almberg, Beth Munns and Tara Hizon are all seeking re-election.

Tuesday, Almberg faulted Dudley’s lack of leadership for the friction between the mayor and council.

“This mayor is very good at tearing things down, but he never has a solution for putting things back together,” he said.

Dudley said his main source of consternation is the skyrocketing costs of the sewage treatment plant; he has proposed that the council take a step back to consider another location. But, he said, he believes the council is going to move forward with the project no matter what and he doesn’t want to be associated with such a huge mistake.

Dudley conceded that it’s been a tumultuous three-plus years since he was elected, but he points to the council as the cause. He said they are essentially a group of friends that want to preserve a traditional power structure in the city.

Campbell agrees that he may be going up against “the good ol’ boys’ club,” but he said he’s buoyed by the sheer number of people who asked him to run.

He said there’s a perception that he was the one councilman aligned with Dudley, but he stresses that he’s his own man and thinks for himself. He said he was supportive of the former mayors Jim Slowik and Patty Cohen.

“I guess I have a reputation for supporting the mayor,” he said. “That’s OK. I support the system when it’s doing the right thing.”

In what will likely be the biggest campaign issue, Campbell said he agrees with Dudley that it would be smart to re-look at the sewage treatment plant project; the estimated cost of construction alone has ballooned from $60 million to either $98 million or $113 million, depending on which contractor one considers.

Campbell said there might be consequences for a delay in the project, but it would be worth it to ensure that it’s done right.

Campbell said he has a different management style than Dudley. He said there is a morale problem among staff members, which he said began when Dudley came into office and fired a people in management positions.

Campbell said it might not make sense for regular staff members to fear for their jobs, as the mayor only has regular contact with department managers. Nevertheless, Campbell said he can bring peace to the culture of fear through strong, supportive leadership.

Campbell said he doesn’t fault Dudley for his straightforward, confrontational style, but he describes his own management style as “professional.”

After retiring as a Navy chief petty officer, Campbell had a 24-year career with Lockheed Missiles and Space. His last assignment was as a senior manager serving as a liaison to the Royal Navy Trident Program in Scotland.

Campbell previously ran for Island County commissioner as a Republican, but was knocked out of the race in the 2012 primary.

As a councilman, Campbell was the city’s representative on the Island Transit board. He resigned last October after financial problems came to light and urged all the other members to follow suit.

Dudley said he will be glad to endorse Campbell for mayor. He claimed the best way for citizens to keep their sewage rates under control is to vote for Campbell.

Tuesday, Severns said he welcomes Campbell into the race; he said the citizens deserve to have a choice in their leadership.

“I wish the best for Scott in whatever his future holds,” he added.

Both Severns and Almberg said they would be willing to listen to any thoughtful proposal Dudley may have for changes to the wastewater treatment plant project.

Next year, all three municipalities on Whidbey Island will have new mayors.

In addition to Dudley, Coupeville Mayor Nancy Conard and Langley Mayor Fred McCarthy have announced they won’t seek re-election.