City commissioners later this month will appoint City Attorney Dave Nielsen to serve as acting city manager.

Nielsen will serve as Helena's top executive upon the departure of City Manager Tim Burton, who announced this month he has accepted a position as the deputy director of the Montana Department of Justice.

Nielsen, who has served as the city's top attorney since 1996, will be formally appointed July 20. Burton will work through that date before taking a few days off. His employment with the city officially ends July 24. Commissioners hope to have a new manager in place in October.

The city's deputy attorneys will take on some of Nielsen's typical workload, Nielsen said.

"We've got some logistical things we'll have to work through," he said.

The appointment was announced Wednesday by commissioners at a city administrative meeting.

Mayor Jim Smith, who made the recommendation, wasn't present, but other officials said he had chose Nielsen in part for two reasons n the attorney has often worked alongside Burton on city issues that aren't confined to one department or another, and choosing one of the city's other department heads could have created greater challenges within that specific department.

"All 10 directors were qualified," Burton noted.

Larry Kline: 447-4075 or larry.kline@helenair.com

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