Richard Kemper is resigning after seven terms as Kosciusko County surveyor.
Kemper, who was first elected to the position in 1989, will leave Aug. 14. He said Friday that while he might continue working as a surveyor, he decided it was time to leave public service.
“I need to step back from public service for a while, turn the page and start a new chapter,” he said. “I think if I can’t devote the level of energy I should be to the office, I shouldn’t be drawing a paycheck.”
He said a caucus will likely be held within 30 days of his resignation to elect a replacement, and added he thinks the office will be in good hands.
As county surveyor, he was responsible for establishing and re-establishing all original government corners in the county and maintaining official records on these corners, as well as maintaining legal survey record books.
He served as a member of the county Area Plan Commission and the Plan Commission Technical Review Committee, and at hearings often spoke in favor of keeping access to the lakes public rather than privatizing the land.
As technical advisor to the Kosciusko County Drainage Board, his responsibilities included classifying the status of all county-regulated drains and overseeing maintenance, construction and reconstruction work associated with regulated drains. Kosciusko County has over 1,100 miles of county-regulated drains, according to government records.
“Like any public service, it has its stressful moments but it’s also rewarding,” he remarked.
Kemper added he wants to thank the public for its support during his seven terms, and wrote personal thanks to many people in a letter to the editor in the Times-Union today on page 5A.
“I’ve been very blessed to have this position all these years, I can’t thank the public enough for their support,” he said. “It’s been a good ride, I have no regrets.”
(Story by The Times Union)
