Board Thread:Support Requests - Getting Started/@comment-8728304-20130623184535/@comment-1330470-20130623192123

Adoption is a process by which users apply for admin rights on wikis with inactive admins. It has in the past been used for wikis with admins but no active bureaucrats. You could make an adoption request at Adoption:Requests.

The removal of bureaucrat rights has no formal process, but if there is a clear consensus in the community, Staff will do it (best to send it to Special:Contact/general).

But for either of the above to be a success, there has to be a clear and visible consensus. I would recommend you create a forum thread that collects together the opinions of your community, and highlight it so that all your users can see. Once many have had their say, you can move forward.