Macon City Councilman Tom Ellington announced Wednesday he will not run for the District 8 seat on the new Macon-Bibb County consolidated commission.

Instead, he will concentrate on the work he’s doing on the transition task force that’s planning for the consolidated government.

Ellington spoke just before a meeting of the task force at the Middle Georgia Regional Commission office. As chairman of the council’s Appropriations Committee, he is an ex-officio task force member.

Ellington, an associate professor of political science at Wesleyan College, has represented Ward 3, Post 3 since 2007. He’s grateful to voters for electing him twice and will work hard on City Council and the task force until the end of his term, he said. The new nine-member commission and countywide mayor will be elected July 16 and will take office in January 2014 as current city and county governments dissolve.

Once that takes place, Ellington said, he will seek out other ways to work in the community.

“There are a lot of ways of serving besides holding elective office,” he said.

Ellington is leaving open the possibility of running for some office in the future.

“I may, I may not; I have no plans in that regard,” he said.

Ellington shares the new District 8 with incumbent city councilmen, Charles Jones and Virgil Watkins.

Jones announced in late February that he will run for the District 8 seat. Watkins has said he’s considering it but hasn’t announced definite plans.

About 17,300 people live in District 8, which straddles both Eisenhower Parkway and Interstate 75. It covers much of the downtown business district and Mercer University, and runs south to Rocky Creek Road.

About 12,800 of those residents are of voting age; 14 percent are Republican, and 83 percent Democratic, according to a Telegraph analysis. The population is 72 percent black and 25 percent white.