But he has decided to stick by an earlier decision not to seek the city's top job.

In a news conference Wednesday, Garcia said he decided in January not to run - for a second time - for mayor. He lost to Mayor Matthew Godfrey in 2003. Godfrey has not announced whether he will seek a third term.

The only candidate to announce so far is Neil Hansen, a Democratic state representative, who was at Garcia's news conference. Scott Brown, the city's business-development manager, two weeks ago accused Garcia - during a council meeting - of bribing him.

Brown said that Garcia promised him a top city job if he would help Garcia defeat Godfrey in the 2007 election.

He said he and Brown talked a few times last summer when they both happened to be in a popular downtown restaurant for breakfast, and Garcia was then contemplating a mayoral bid.

"I have never encouraged any city employee to try to dig up negative information on other city employees," Garcia said Wednesday. "I have done nothing to solicit any member of the current administration to work in any administration I might lead."

Garcia also disputed comments by Ron Ball, the city's risk manager, who contacted reporters soon after Brown's tirade to say that he was told by the former Human Resource manager, Dean Martinez, that Garcia would keep certain city managers, such as Martinez and Ball, who supported his bid.

Martinez denied such conversations, and Garcia did, too.

Garcia said he has found serving on the Council for 13 years "challenging and fulfilling work," in spite of the occasions when he and his children have been harassed because of their Mexican heritage.

"When I last ran for mayor I heard things like, 'We can't have a low-life Mexican from the west side be the mayor of Ogden,' " Garcia said.

Garcia's immigrant parents moved to Ogden when he was a child.

kmoulton@sltrib.com