''For the good of the task force, I've had my time,'' Mr Cadogan (56) told the Otago Daily Times yesterday.
''I know that there's good people there and it's their turn. I know that for the robustness of the organisation, it'll be a good thing.''
His work with the taskforce made him ''immensely proud'' and would remain a life-achievement, but he was running out of time and energy for the mayoralty role in the Clutha district, Mr Cadogan said.
He already worked seven days a week as the Clutha mayor ''and I'm going to have to give more''.
''There's so many things happening here at the moment. We're moving ahead in so many directions,'' he said.
One of the two deputy chairmen on the taskforce, Kawerau Mayor Malcolm Campbell ''most definitely'' supported Mr Cadogan's decision to step down and agreed the change in leadership came at a good time.
Mr Cadogan had taken the taskforce from near ''trading on insolvency'' to a position of financial strength, Mr Campbell said.
He had restructured the organisation, making tough, ''taxing decisions'' that had left the task force able to look past the structural issues that had troubled it 18months ago and begin to focus on its membership.
''He wants to focus more on his mayoralty and get away from all that travelling around the country,'' Mr Campbell said. ''Full marks to him for the work that he has done.''
Mr Campbell and deputy chairwoman Manawatu Mayor Margaret Kouvelis will stand to replace him, with a vote held tomorrow, Mr Cadogan said.
He would stay on as a member of the ''core group'' of 10 mayors that represent the 67-mayor membership in developing a ''best practice'' framework to ensure youth met their potential and did not face obstacles when entering the workforce.
The taskforce was working to overcome a major ''structural impediment'' for youth to get jobs, Mr Cadogan said.
''Right now, the biggest project the Mayors Taskforce is looking at is to try and overcome the lack of driver's licences in our youth and what that means in their outcomes for jobs,'' he said.
''For so many kids leaving school, the best qualification they could have is a driver's licence. It's critical, especially in rural areas: get that kid a driver's licence.''
Mr Cadogan's Ready, Steady, Work programme has received widespread attention. Last year, its fourth, 25 of 28 youth who started the programme completed it with a job.
And his ''speed-dating for jobs'', a reaction to mass layoffs after Southern Cross Forest Products was placed in receivership, has been successfully trialled in Whangarei.
