A 6th Judicial District County Court judge will retire later this month after 19 years of service.

Judge Kurt T. Rager will retire effective July 31, the Nebraska Judicial Branch announced in a news release Monday.

In his announcement letter to Gov. Pete Ricketts, Rager stated it was “my extreme privilege and honor to serve in this capacity.”

Rager joined the county court bench in 2001, and he has served several terms as presiding judge of the 6th Judicial District, which spans Burt, Cedar, Dakota, Dixon, Dodge, Thurston and Washington counties. His primary office is in Dakota City.

Rager has held several volunteer positions within the Nebraska County Judges Association, including as 2014-15 president. He also has been a member of the Judicial Education Committee, the County Court Forms Committee, the Probation Committee and several ad hoc committees.

Last year, Rager served as host when the Nebraska Supreme Court visited South Sioux City High School, where he is an alumnus. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and his J.D. from the Nebraska College of Law in 1977.

From 1977 to 2001, he practiced law privately in Omaha and South Sioux City. He’s a former president of the city council in South Sioux City as well as the South Sioux City Kiwanis Club.

The Nebraska Judicial Resources Commission will meet to determine whether or not the retirement creates a judicial vacancy on the county court bench. If it does, a judicial nominating commission will seek applications, interview candidates and present Ricketts with a list of finalists.