The embattled mayor of a small Texas town is riding off into the sunset after resigning in a five-word note: "I quit on this date."
Monty Collins, 78, told FoxNews.com he submitted his resignation -- effective immediately -- on Monday at the city secretary's office in Alto, a town of roughly 1,200 about 130 miles southeast of Dallas. The move culminates Collins' 10-month tenure as mayor and ends a tumultuous relationship with city council members, he said.
"Well, there were problems developing between me and the council," Collins told FoxNews.com. "They verbally and publicly demanded my resignation. So I chose my time."
Collins, a retired railroad engineer, was elected by a 66-32 vote in May. Last month, city council members accused Collins of incompetence and unanimously voted to explore options for his removal.
"I felt humiliated during that February meeting," he said. "They ordered me to go to work, but they didn't specify want they wanted done."
Collins allegedly leaked a document to the Texas Railroad Commission, resulting in a city violation. He also repeatedly ignored requests from city officials, city council members claimed.
"We have repeatedly told you over and over again, 'Don't say anything on the street, don't talk to a reporter,' but you cannot comprehend that," council member Cary Palmer said, according to the Jacksonville Daily Progress, which first reported Collins' resignation.
"We are a body of government who direct actions," Palmer continued. "You work for us and you have to follow what we say to do."
Despite Collins' objections, town officials laid off all five of its police officers during a budget crunch last year. The city council later voted to reinstate its police department. Collins now wants to put the acrimony behind him and focus on a "couple of projects in the city," which he declined to specify.
"I don't maintain any hard feelings," he said. "I'm going to let it go."
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