Like many of you, we have agonized about our choice for mayor.

For a time, we were uncertain about endorsing any of the candidates running.

In public forums, debates and on a Free Press questionnaire, all of the candidates have promised the same things — to upgrade the operation of our city government, to improve the delivery of basic services and to find some way to renovate or replace our crumbling public schools.

We have come to the conclusion that the candidate who can best take charge is the candidate who brings significant experience and a track record of achievement.

The person who best fits that description is John F. “Jack” Berry.

We are impressed by his experience, which includes 14 years in Richmond City Hall as a budget analyst, budget director and deputy city manager for finance, as well as six years as county manager of Hanover County.

Among other things, Mr. Berry was involved in the creation of one of our city’s important assets, the Richmond Ambulance Authority, which has provided Richmond residents with top-notch emergency service for 25 years.

Most of us know him best from his 18 years of helping to market Richmond and Downtown through the public-private Richmond Renaissance and its successor organization, Venture Richmond.

He has impacted our lives through various events, including the annual 2nd Street Festival and the Richmond Folk Festival. His organization brought attention to the wide range of development in the city and has managed the riverfront and canal boat operations.

As importantly, he has been sensitive to issues of economic justice and inclusion, ensuring that African-American contractors and businesses shared in the projects Venture Richmond undertook.

Still, we have our misgivings. During his time at City Hall during the administration of then-City Manager Robert C. Bobb, there is no evidence that he used his posts in finance to advocate for setting aside tax dollars to maintain city and school buildings and other infrastructure, many of which today are in poor condition or need replacement.

We are concerned about his support for shiny projects that are the darling of the business community but fail to pay off for the people of the city. One prime example has been his outspoken advocacy in 2005, 2014 and most recently for using scarce city resources to build a new baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom for the Richmond Flying Squirrels, a wonderful group, but a project that may not be supportable with public funds given the city’s other critical needs.

On balance, and after reviewing the credentials of the other candidates, we find Mr. Berry to be the most qualified. If he is elected mayor, we expect him to listen more to the people of the city, and not simply to champion the causes of the business community.

We expect him to act strategically based on urgent and future needs of the people. We will be watching, and we won’t be silent. We trust that he will represent all of the people and will move the city forward.