KALAMAZOO, MI -- The city's longest-serving mayor in history will not seek re-election once his term expires.

Mayor Bobby Hopewell made the surprise announcement at the end of Monday's City Commission meeting. The decision may have seemed impromptu, but Hopewell said he has been considering his retirement from public office for some time.

Hopewell was elected to his sixth consecutive term as mayor of Kalamazoo in November 2017. A decade after first being elected, he became the city's longest-serving mayor after running unopposed.

Hopewell's term expires in November 2019.

He doesn't give much thought to his legacy. Instead, Hopewell said he'd rather focus on the work being done, and the work yet to be done before his time as Kalamazoo's elected head of government ends.

"It's time for other people to do this stuff and allow me to do whatever else," Hopewell said. "I really want to dive into our neighborhoods, because that is the work I came from and I think sometimes when you sit here (on the dais) you can move away from that."

He was initially conflicted about running last year, but decided to seek re-election to oversee the launch of the city's strategic vision and master plan, the Foundation for Excellence and shared prosperity initiatives.

Poverty and lack of opportunity continues to be the city's largest challenges, Hopewell said.

"People don't know that if it wasn't for the Foundation for Excellence, I wouldn't have probably ran last time," Hopewell told MLive/Kalamazoo Gazette Monday. "How long have I been thinking (about not seeking re-election)? You think about it all the time. One of the things I wanted to do was say something early. There's plenty that someone can do and I've been here a long time."

A new generation of Kalamazoo city staff is leading the city in a positive direction, Hopewell said. He particularly focused on new leadership in the departments of public safety and community development.

He still has big plans for his time left in office -- Hopewell spoke at length about continuing to push poverty reduction, housing and economic development initiatives -- but the mayor wanted to make his announcement early enough to allow his eventual successor time to prepare.

Hopewell called it an "18-months heads-up" to the next mayor.

"Some folks will ask 'why now?'" Hopewell said. "The answer is simple. The job of mayor is difficult and the next person to sit in this chair needs to be prepared."

He's willing to lend a hand to the right person.

"If you're listening to this speech and you think the next mayor ... will never be someone like me, or from my neighborhood, or doing my type of job or from a family like mine -- you're exactly who I'm talking to right now," Hopewell said. "We need your voice. We need your talent. We need your vision. We need your passion. We need you."

The mayor said there are great days ahead for Kalamazoo, and he believes in the City Commission to make sure of it.

City Manager Jim Ritsema said he was suprised by the timing of Hopewell's annoucement, but believes Kalamazoo is heading down the right path.

"There's a lot of work before us, its going to be complicated and take time, but (Hopewell) has helped us be positioned where we are today," Ritsema said. "For that I am very grateful. I will miss him personally as a friend, but I know he will still be around in the community so that's good."

Ritsema said he and Hopewell, who along with the commission hired the city manager in 2013, had a great personal and professional relationship.

"He's gone to some of my kids' sporting events," Ritsema said. "He's been at my house for Thanksgiving dinner. We've been working together since day one on everything (to get Kalamazoo) where we are today and it's been a pleasure working and being side-by-side with him."

Hopewell has served as mayor since 2007. He was first elected as a member of the Kalamazoo City Commission in 2003.