County Commissioner Steve Bauer announced on Monday that he will resign from his position effective at the end of February.

Bauer said he would like to spend more time with his family. He took office in 2007 and his term would have been up at the end of 2012. Bauer announced in December that he would not run for reelection.

In a letter drafted to announce his resignation said this position has been his most difficult in his 30 years of government service.

He wrote: “If I thought that the big challenges ahead could be completed in the next two years, I would gladly remain. But I think that the truly significant challenges of the budget, the North Kitsap Legacy Partnership, reshaping the future of Kitsap Transit and others will take several years to accomplish.”

He said he is proud of all that he has accomplished during his tenure, especially working as the chair of the Kitsap Housing Authority to save it from destruction in 2009.