Mike Bell said Wednesday that he'll run as an independent in this year's mayoral race.
Current Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has not said whether he'll seek re-election.
Bell was fire chief in Toledo for 16 years before Gov. Ted Strickland selected him to be the state fire marshal two years ago.
Bell is stepping down from that job next month so that he can devote his time to running for Toledo mayor. His replacement has not yet been named.
Bell grew up in the state's fourth largest city and played football at the University of Toledo.
Others running for Toledo mayor include:
Those considering a run are:
Toledo's current mayor, Carty Finkbeiner, has yet to announce if he will run for re-election. Nine other candidates have also taken out petitions to try and get on the September 15th primary ballot.
