West Bloomfield's top elected official was elected unopposed but abruptly will exit
Returned to office unopposed after receiving 97% of votes cast, West Bloomfield Township Supervisor Steve Kaplan sprung a surprise.
He was sworn in for a third term last week, then two days later served notice that he’d soon be leaving. That had Kaplan’s colleagues congratulating him on West Bloomfield’s local cable channel. But critics, including Kapan's past political opponents, said he misled voters by running for office while planning not to serve.
The township’s local cable channel, Civic Center TV, announced Friday that Kaplan would soon become an assistant prosecutor in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. Confirming that this week was a spokeswoman for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. Yet, on Wednesday, Kaplan declined to explain why he was leaving, saying he regretted the release of news by the township's cable broadcasts, which also serves Keego Harbor, Sylvan Lake and Orchard Lake.
Sitting in his big office, whose walls are covered with Kaplan’s awards, diplomas and framed news stories about his 25 years as an elected township official — including the last decade as supervisor — Kaplan deferred to his executive assistant Kris Darcy, who said only that “We’re in a strong position — he will be leaving us in a strong position.”
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2024/11/28/in-big-oakland-county-community-a-sudden-exit-by-popular-democrat/76626962007/