In the end, it came down to knowing when to walk away.

Coweta County Commission Chairman Vernon "Mutt" Hunter stunned the crowd at Tuesday night's commission meeting when he announced he would not be seeking reelection this year.

"When you look at the Coweta County letterhead in 2005, you won't see my name on it," he said.

Hunter made his announcement at the end of the meeting and used lines from Kenny Rogers' song "The Gambler" to illustrate his point.

"You've got to know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em and know when to walk away," he said.

All the commissioners appeared stunned by his announcement.

"Does this mean you're not running for reelection?" asked Commissioner Robert Wood.

Hunter nodded his head yes.

The chairman is finishing his third term as a county commissioner. Prior to his political career, Hunter served more than 25 years as Coweta County's administrator and also served as Fayette County's public works director.