In the shadow of city hall, longtime resident and former council member Bob Huber announced Monday his intent to run for mayor.

He spoke to a group of about 50 friends, family and colleagues who gathered rather conspicuously in the courtyard just outside City Council chambers. Some held signs that read “Huber=Leadership” and “Huber Unites Simi Valley.”

Huber, who served on the City Council from 1980 to 1984 and currently sits as chair of the Ventura County Community College District, said the current recession is the reason for his return to city politics.

“These are troubled economic times and our city is at a crossroads,” he said. “Simi Valley has been careful with its funds. But with the state taking more redevelopment funds, revenues down and economic pressures on the people of Simi Valley, I realized I could no longer sit on the sidelines and quietly advise city and community leaders. It is time to step up.”

The announcement didn’t come as a surprise to those who run in local political circles, as his candidacy has been swirling in the rumor mill for weeks.

What may be surprising is the caveat that comes along with his candidacy. He said he would not run if Paul Miller decides to run for reelection. But Huber hinted that he didn’t think the current mayor would seek a fourth term.

“Many people are under the impression that Mayor Miller is not going to seek reelection,” Huber said. “If he chooses to retire, I will run, and should he run again, I will support his reelection.”

A council member when Miller was hired as chief of police, Huber said in an interview with the Acorn that he’s always supported Miller’s bids for mayor and he wouldn’t run against him because he thinks Miller has done a good job.

He did say he’d run against Councilmember Steve Sojka, who filed an intent to run for mayor last month but hasn’t officially announced his candidacy. Sojka, whose seat is not up for reelection, has also said he wouldn’t run against Miller.

Mayor of Simi since 2004, Miller filed paperwork with the city clerk early last month to terminate the Committee to Elect Paul Miller for Mayor. However, he’s expected to make an official announcement on whether he’ll seek a fourth term at the annual State of the City address March 17.

If Huber’s candidacy sticks, he has the backing of several high-profile officials. State Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Thousand Oaks) attended Monday’s event and said Huber is a “big reason” why Simi is one of the best cities in the state and the nation.

“He’s touched every corner of the city and really made this city a great place to live,” he said. “He will make sure this city continues to prosper, that this city continues to be the city that we have all come accustomed to love.”

Greg Stratton, who served as mayor of Simi for 12 years after being a council member for seven, also stood behind Huber, saying the city needs “tested leadership” to survive the current fiscal hardships.

“Bob has the maturity to lead us during these troubling times and the ability to listen to all sides of an issue,” he said. “I served with Bob on the council and know him as someone who wants to unite people . . . and most importantly, wants to know the needs and concerns of all our citizens.”

Huber also has the endorsement of 12th-term U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly (R-Thousand Oaks), another former mayor of Simi.

Gallegly couldn’t make the announcement gathering, but Stratton read a statement of support in which Gallegly said that if Miller steps down as mayor, the city would need to fill the void with “an experienced, innovative, involved and community-minded individual.”

Huber, 67, worked as a volunteer on Gallegly’s first campaign for Congress and has since served as his campaign treasurer for the past 19 years.

Huber has lived in Simi since 1969, when he opened Huber Chapel Mortuary, which he operated for nine years.

Today, he is a personal injury lawyer and owner of The Law Offices of Huber & Takasugi, a private law practice in town.

He’s also chair of the Simi Valley Community Foundation and is a past president and current member of the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce.

As someone who’s been with the city since before its incorporation, Huber said he’ll stand on his record, noting that the last time the city faced a financial crisis like the current one was after the passage of Proposition 13, which lowered property taxes and passed in 1978. He said he helped solve the city’s fiscal woes then and can do it again.

“I know how to build bridges with people and calm troubled waters down. I’ve been doing that all my life.”