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After more than four years as Naples’ city manager, Bob Lee turned in his resignation Thursday to pursue his passion — teaching — and head a new state program that will enable him to shape the state’s future city and county managers.

Lee, who is among only two city and county managers statewide with a doctorate, will leave Oct. 19 and begin work Nov. 1 as a graduate faculty member at the Askew School of Public Administration at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

The newly created position is a result of a three-party agreement with the university, the Florida Institute of Government, and the Florida City and County Management Association, where Lee chairs the past presidents committee. The program’s intent is to develop a “center of excellence” to teach and prepare future state city and county managers.

Lee, who calls teaching his passion, said it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up, “an obligation” because he wants to help shape future local managers. Lee has been teaching city management and budget classes for 15 years, mostly for the University of South Florida, and the last 10 years at the Florida Institute of Government, among other classes.

“If it weren’t for this opportunity, I would still be here in Naples,” Lee said in an interview before holding an afternoon press conference. “This was to be my last city manager’s position. I don’t think I could be in a better environment.”

“But this is a historic partnership,” he added. “It’s an opportunity. It’s where my passion is. ...They’re looking at creating a world-class center, a prototype for other states to look to for training future government managers.”

The post doesn’t require him to publish, a common college mandate, but he plans to because he considers local government textbooks as lacking. He also will be allowed to do consulting work, leaving open the possibility he could still be work with Naples.

Lee, 53, who has 26 years of city manager experience, began his Naples position June 30, 2003, with a salary of $125,800, a housing and car allowance. He now earns $154,529.

He’ll collect a $70,000 base nine-month salary teaching one course each semester, with summers off and college perks. He’ll also be promoting the program, which will enable students to learn by working in local governments.

Lee came from Gulfport, Fla., where he served as city manager from 1990 to 2003. He was city administrator/assistant mayor in Lauder Hill in Broward County from 1984 to 1990, and city manager in Bellvue, Pa., from 1982 to 1984. His tenure here followed that of Kevin Rambosk, now county undersheriff, who served as manager from 1999 to 2003. He took over after manager Richard Woodruff resigned suddenly in 1999 after seven years.

Dr. Fran Berry, director of the university’s Master of Public Administration program, said faculty members are excited Lee is joining the program and called him an exemplary city manager, someone with an excellent reputation within the state.

“He is an experienced faculty member and we hope that this change in his career will allow him more time to teach young people and mentor them into public service careers,” Berry said.

“Bob is also the ideal person to help us build the new Center for Florida Local Government Excellence, a partnership between Florida State University and the Florida City and County Management Association into a world-class center for research and information on local government policy and administration.”

Others involved in the partnership — Florida Institute of Government Executive Director Jeff Henry and Florida City and County Management Association Executive Director Lynn Tipton — could not be reached Thursday afternoon.

In his letter of resignation Thursday to Mayor Bill Barnett and council members, Lee said he was able to postpone his Aug. 7 start date by citing numerous city projects and commitments, including the budget, which will be affected by last month’s sweeping property tax legislation. The law rolls back rates, promising even more savings to homeowners if 60 percent of voters in January give them an additional break.

But it means Naples can’t collect more taxes than last year and also must cut 9 percent, close to $1.7 million or $1.9 million, of its budget that totaled $134.2 million this year.

“I want to make sure there are no artificial expenses,” Lee said of scrutinizing department spending. “What, if any, services are going to be affected by complying with the state mandate to roll back property taxes?”

Lee’s resignation comes a few months after Councilman Gary Price joined steady Lee critic Councilwoman Penny Taylor. Price publicly announced he’d lost confidence in Lee.

Lee also had taken heat last year, when he opted not to conduct a national search and named Victor Morales, his former assistant, as the new police chief.

In May, the police union cast a no-confidence vote against Morales, but Lee stood by him. Much of the criticism involves Lee’s “people skills” with some employees, not his financial acumen, which most agree is stellar.

Taylor’s annual reviews always cited Lee’s “lack of people skills,” yet highly praised his financial work, but she agreed Lee shouldn’t ignore this opportunity.

“Bob Lee put the city right financially,” she said. “There’s no question about the hard work he put in to put us on sound financial footing.”

Price said he took heat from council, who were angry at the public announcement, but he said he only did it after several months of speaking privately with Lee, and it wasn’t the first time he’d brought up the concerns in other forums.

“It wasn’t like I was trying to get him,” Price said. “It was that I had had enough.”

He called the new post a perfect fit for Lee. “I think we’re starting to hit our stride, although we definitely have a few obstacles coming up,” he added.

Councilman Bill McIlvaine said he was sorry Lee was leaving and added: “This fellow I hold in the highest admiration and strict respect as an outstanding and capable city manager. He’s a great guy.”

Barnett called Lee ethical, fair, someone who does things by the book.

“I’m bummed, I am,” Barnett said, adding that he’d definitely consider Lee as a consultant. “... He had a lot to overcome when he started and he’s proven himself.”

Collier Commissioner Fred Coyle, whose district includes Naples, wished Lee well.

“I’m sure this is something he’s thought through and decided is the best decision,” said Coyle, who has had a tense relationship with Barnett and other city officials over the past few years.

“Things didn’t go as well in the city in the last few years as I would have hoped,” he added. “But I don’t think you can blame Bob Lee for that.”

The next city manager needs to realize Naples is a special and unique place, Coyle said, adding, “The key quality is a genuine understanding and a personal involvement in Naples.”

Lee said new Assistant City Manager Chet Hunt, the former Community Redevelopment Agency manager, wasn’t in line for the position and recommended hiring a national search firm, as council did before hiring him.

Council members agreed they need to move quickly to hire a search firm, but disagreed over whether a manager should be hired immediately or if they should wait to see if council changes after February elections, when four posts are up for election.

Barnett and Lee said City Human Resources Manager Denise Perez could immediately begin the process for a RFP, request for proposals, to find a search firm, and an emergency council meeting wasn’t necessary.

Taylor hoped the city took quick action, noting, “We need a new city manager in place as we move into the season.”

Price agreed, but wanted council to discuss possibly waiting for elections.

“I don’t want to alienate them from the process,” he said of possible council changes and noted that an alternative would be to hire a temporary manager through the Florida City and County Management Association.

But Barnett was adamant. “The sooner we begin the process, the better,” he said. “I want Bob Lee to be here to be a part of the process. He knows city managers all over.”

He noted that Lee was hired the year before elections and changes in council.

“As far as waiting for a new council, absolutely not,” Barnett said. “That’s just not productive. We need to have a new city manager.”

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Staff writer Larry Hannan also contributed to this report.