PORTLAND – Portland Police Chief Tim Burton has accepted a conditional offer to head the police department in the city of Odessa, Texas.

A southern Maine newspaper reported Saturday that Burton still needs to pass a medical exam, drug test and background check before any decision becomes final.

Andrea Goodson, Odessa’s public information coordinator, said Burton is expected to start work there within about two months.

“We are still on board for Mr. Burton to become a Texan on August 31st,” she said.

Burton, a Portland native, has led Portland’s department since November 2005. He joined the department as a patrolman in 1982.

“It’s an exciting opportunity, certainly one that I’ve been taking very seriously and look forward to,” he said.

In a recent interview with the Portland Press Herald, Odessa City Manager Richard Morton said he was impressed by the professionalism of Portland’s department, Burton’s intelligence, and how highly others spoke of him.

“He is accessible, and I think the chief definitely needs to be accessible to citizens and the different interest groups we serve,” Morton said.

Odessa, which is located between Dallas and El Paso, has a department with 177 sworn officers and a population of about 100,000. Portland has 160 sworn officers and a population of 64,000.

Burton earns $91,500 a year in Portland. He said the Odessa job has a starting salary of $105,000.

Portland Mayor Edward Suslovic credited Burton with creating directed patrols to tackle specific issues, such as drugs or adherence to bail conditions.

The mayor praised Burton for a soft-spoken and effective leadership style and noted he was always in uniform on the job, which Suslovic saw as symbolic of the solidarity he created between patrol officers and the command staff.