CALIFORNIA ? Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants his hometown in Austria to remove his name from a sports stadium and stop using him to promote the city.

His request came after politicians in Graz – upset that Schwarzenegger denied clemency to condemned inmate Tookie Williams – started a petition drive to rename the stadium. Opposition to the death penalty is strong in Austria.

In a letter that began “Dear Mister Mayor,” Schwarzenegger said he decided to spare the Graz city council “further concern” should he be forced to make other clemency decisions while he’s governor. Another inmate is scheduled to be executed in California Jan. 17.

“In all likelihood, during my term as governor, I will have to make similar and equally difficult decisions,” Schwarzenegger said in the letter. “To spare the responsible politicians of the city of Graz further concern, I withdraw from them as of this day the right to use my name in association with the Liebenauer Stadium.”