(KNZA)--An ongoing push to hire a full time city administrator for the city of Horton gained traction Monday night, with current projects manager Tim Lentz resigning from that position. “I fulfilled that role as the projects manager in kinda overseeing what projects were going on in the city,” Lentz tells MSC News. “I feel like we were very proactive getting projects done, getting the infrastructure up to par in the city.” 

Lentz has long served in the projects manager's role, which is an extension of the city administrator's duties, partially overseen in the interim by City Clerk Kim Clausen. “Right now, kind of the way that Tim and I work it is I'm the administrator to the point where I do the inner-office duties but Tim is basically in charge of all outside projects,” Clausen explains. “He deals with all the engineers and the contractors.” 

Lentz, who also serves as Mayor, made his decision to resign after Parks and Recreation Commissioner Al Barton was joined by Police Commissioner Bryan Stirton in a motion to begin the process of filling the Administrator's role. 

However, the motion died when it failed to gain additional Commissioner support. 

Despite the failed effort, Lentz says the attempt, which follows ongoing discussion, and a similar maneuver at a recent Commission meeting, led him to his decision to resign. “I think Mr. Barton feels like the city would be under better direction with a guy or gal with a degree in City Administration to manage the city [in] day to day operations,” Lentz says. “I just kinda felt like it was probably time to go ahead, let them endeavor that. I'm a little bit on the discouraged side that we think we need somewhere in the neighborhood of $50,000 to $70,000 for an administrator, for the taxpayers dollars, when we were getting it done for $27,500.”

Lentz does plan to serve out his remaining time as Mayor. “I made a commitment to the taxpayers that elected me for this office to continue the role of Mayor. My term is up in April of 2015 so we'll just have to decide if we seek reelection.”

According to Commissioner Stirton, the move to hire a full time administrator is not a personal comment on Lentz's  job performance. Instead, it's necessary planning for Horton's future in the event that Lentz should not be reelected if he seeks to retain his mayoral position in 2015.