The town manager of Goshen resigned suddenly earlier this week, handing in his letter of resignation in the middle of the day and walking out the door.

Bruce Sutton wrote his letter of resignation, thanking the town officials for their work and for the opportunity he had to work with them. His resignation went into effect at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The letter did not say why he left, and Sutton could not be reached for comment. Town Councilman Steve Staheli said Sutton wasn't forced out by the current council and that he was not aware Sutton was contemplating resignation

"I know he does have other pursuits, though," he said.

The position has been a source of conflict within the tiny south Utah County town since Sutton was hired in March. Two months ago residents elected four new town officials, a number of whom had expressed a desire to reconsider the need for a town manager. One seat on the Town Council wasn't up for re-election.

The new Town Council's first meeting will be Tuesday, when the new officials will be sworn in. At least one official is still planning to discuss the town manager position then.

"I will vote not to have a city manager," Councilman-elect Fred Jensen said. "I wasn't against Bruce, I was against the position that he held."

He attributes the possible elimination of the position as the reason for Sutton's sudden departure, he said. While Jensen was the most outspoken of the town officials who will be taking office, Mayor-elect Dorothy Sprague and Councilwoman-elect Susan Bettis also said they wanted to evaluate the town's finances and needs and determine if the town of 800 needed a manager. But Staheli, the only returning member of the board, said during the nine months Sutton worked in Goshen, he got the community into compliance with a number of state regulations, he was instrumental in obtaining about $12,000 in grants, he secured donations of several thousand dollars of equipment and trucks for the fire department and he created an official fee code. Staheli wants to keep the town manager position intact.

"He didn't do anything that the Town Council didn't ask him to," he said. "He did exactly what we needed at the time."

Staheli said he spoke with many people who were active in the town who disliked Sutton when he began work but as they worked more with him they recognized his skills and abilities and the benefits he brought to the town. Most residents, however, never tried to work with Sutton, he said, instead getting hung up on the fact that he couldn't run a backhoe.

"I wish more people in town would have gave him a chance," he said.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.