After nearly five years of service as the Argyle Town Manager, Lyle Dresher is stepping down.

Dresher, who has served four years and 11 months in the position, will retire effective March 26.

The Argyle Town Manager said working for the Town of Argyle has meant a lot to him.

“Hopefully, some of my past work experience helped to direct and provide valuable input to the numerous long-term planning efforts that were completed several years ago,” Dresher said.

These projects include completing the negotiations for the TRA and Towns of Argyle, Flower Mound and Northlake Regional Wastewater System improvements, which Dresher said “will prove to be one of the most significant economic development projects in the town’s history.”

There was also the completion of the update of the town’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan to a form-based plan, which Dresher said was “unlike any small town in the U.S. at the time, again setting a town vision for the town’s long term economic development benefit that if followed will result in sustainable development enhancing the town’s commercial tax base without burdening the residential property owner.”

Then there was the completion of the strategic plans for the town’s commercial centers that Dresher said “establishes, up front, the town’s expectations for sustainable development, thus telling the development community, up front, what the town’s expectations are for development instead of development driving the process.”

Dresher said he is proud of his efforts with regard to the town's growth potential.

“In total, these three accomplishments place the Town in an excellent position for growth that is inevitable, particularly along the I-35W corridor, as the economy improves,” Dresher said.

Dresher's departure comes during a unsettled period at town hall under first term mayor Matt Smith.

Smith, who was elected last May, has openly questioned the roles of the town manager and town secretary and suggested to council members last December that the two positions could be consolidated.

Argyle Town Council Member Bonny Haynes said a time frame has not been established to hire a new Town  Manager, but added the issue will be addressed in the very near future.

“There is no timeline yet, but we obviously need to find a quality candidate soon,” Haynes said. “I’m sure the timeline and the process will be the main topic of discussion at our next council meeting, but I’m assuming we will be hiring a consulting/recruiting firm.”

Dresher said, while he is stepping down from his position as Argyle Town Manager, he does have some future plans to stay involved.

“I am retiring from full time in the profession, but intend on doing some interim city management gigs and/or municipal management on a project by project basis,” Dresher said. “I plan to give back to the Argyle United Methodist Church and increase my volunteer efforts with the Denton County United Way.”