Mike Rees, chief counsel for the Kansas Department of Transportation and that agency’s public face in the fight to complete the South Lawrence Trafficway, will not keep his job in the new administration.

Marty Matthews, KDOT spokesman, confirmed Thursday that new Secretary Deb Miller had informed Rees “she would be seeking a change in the chief counsel.”

“I wouldn’t read it as having anything to do with the SLT,” Matthews said. “She’s a new secretary and chief counsel’s an important position — she just thought she’d be more comfortable with someone else.”

Matthews did not know if Rees would leave the agency or be reassigned to another job within the department.

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