MURRIETA - Ron Bradley will continue as interim city manager through Oct. 31, the City Council decided Tuesday.

The council unanimously approved an extension of Bradley's $25,000-per-month deal through October. Bradley has said he won't stay longer than that - even if a new city manager hasn't been hired - because of restrictions on his retirement plan.

In early July, Bradley announced he would resign July 31 at the end of his original six-month contract. But Mayor Doug McAllister and other council members convinced Bradley to stay on for a few more months.

Bradley was originally hired to assess the hierarchy of City Hall and to find Murrieta's next city manager. He quickly identified "defects" within City Hall's structure, but only recently began to address the search for his replacement.

If a new city manager isn't in place by Nov. 1, Deputy City Manager Jim Holston could be tapped as an interim chief, Murrieta leaders have said. McAllister has said he is hopeful a new city manager will be in City Hall by that date.