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Marana Town Manager Mike Reuwsaat has hired a lawyer to help him work on a "transition plan" for leaving the position he has held since 2003.

Reuwsaat, 53, said the move is in response to a request last week by Town Councilman Russell Clanagan to have the council discuss at its July 1 meeting whether to terminate Reuwsaat's contract.

"There is a situation that needs to be dealt with, and we need to do that in a respectful manner," Reuwsaat said recently, declining to go into specifics. "In the meantime, I'm going to continue to lead and manage this agency in a manner that our residents are proud of."

Clanagan's request was backed by Jon Post and Roxanne Ziegler, who, along with Clanagan, are the newest members of the Town Council. All three took office in June 2007.

None of the trio would comment on why Reuwsaat should be removed.

The news of the council's plan to discuss Reuwsaat's removal was met with plenty of scorn during Tuesday's special council meeting. The normally sparse audience for meetings was 60-people strong, with seven speakers voicing their support for Reuwsaat and their displeasure with how the council was handling the situation.

Reuwsaat served as the town's assistant manager from 2000 to 2003, when he took over for Mike Hein. Hein left Marana to become Tucson's city manager.

Before joining the town staff, Reuwsaat spent three years on the Marana Town Council.

His current base salary is $160,000, a figure that was approved in September when his contract was renewed. That contract calls for Reuwsaat to get six months of severance pay if he is terminated for any reason other than malfeasance. He also would be paid for all unused vacation time.