KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP (WKZO-AM/FM) — Kalamazoo Township Supervisor Ron Reid has been a public servant in Kalamazoo County for 40 years. On Monday, he surprised everyone, including his board, by announcing he will retire at the end of May.
Reid spent 31 years with the Kalamazoo County Road Commission, working his way up to director, and nine years in Kalamazoo Township government.
He said retirement wasn’t his intention when he ran for reelection last year, but also said he had a health scare in January and has since recovered, but it changed is priorities. He said he will eventually be moving to Dayton, Ohio, to be closer to his children and grandchildren.
The board will now have to figure out how to replace him. It could require a special election with an interim appointment. No mention was made of a replacement process was made at Monday’s meeting.
Most board members learned of his decision for the first time Monday night.
The job description for the position recently changed from full-time chief executive of the township to part-time, with the decision by the township board to reorganize their management structure. An appointed full-time township manager now runs day-to-day operations.
