KALAMAZOO TOWNSHIP, MI — The Kalamazoo Township Board of Trustees has unanimously moved to opt in to a public transit authority for Kalamazoo County.

Kalamazoo Township trustees gave their votes at the board's meeting Monday.

The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners created the Central County Transportation Authority as part of an effort to regionalize public transportation in Kalamazoo County.

Kalamazoo Township is one of several municipalities in Kalamazoo County that has the option to be included or opt out of the authority, along with the cities of Portage, Parchment and Kalamazoo, along with Oshtemo, Comstock and Kalamazoo townships, Texas Township Precinct 3 and Pavilion Township Precinct 3.

Texas Township trustees on Monday unanimously voted to opt out.

The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners created the CCTA in August to gradually replace the Kalamazoo Transit Authority Board in an effort to transition public transit from a city-operated system to a countywide system.

Kalamazoo residents pay a 0.6-mill levy to finance Metro Transit operations through 2015. Kalamazoo County residents also pay a 0.4-millage for countywide service that will expire at the end of 2016. Voters in the municipalities that opt in to the authority should expect to see an additional millage request on their ballots in May 2015.

If the millage is approved, the KCTA plans to finalize its consolidation with Metro Transit by October of 2015.