Police Chief Richard Stanley, on medical leave since mid-July, will soon retire, Town Administrator Derek Sullivan told Selectmen on Tuesday.

A date for Stanley's retirement was not provided. His contract with the town was set to expire in May of 2014.

Lt. Kevin Walsh, who has served as acting chief since Stanley went on medical leave, has been named interim chief as the search for a permanent chief begins. Lt. John Walcek will continue to serve as acting emergency management director, handling that portion of the chief's duties.

The medical condition or conditions that prompted Stanley's leave have not been made public.

Stanley came to Wareham as interim chief in 2009, following the retirement of former police chief Thomas Joyce. He began work here on a part-time basis while continuing to serve as the full-time police chief in North Andover.

His elevation to the permanent job was fraught with controversy.

Given an annual salary of $166,000 in Wareham, Stanley was likely among the top five highest paid police chiefs in Massachusetts at the time of his appointment -- earning more than the chiefs in Brockton ($120,000), Quincy ($162,000) and Lowell ($140,000), and just $5,000 shy of the Boston chief.

Paid $133,000 in North Andover, Stanley had initially said he did not want to take on the Wareham position permanently. After then-Town Administrator Mark Andrews told Selectmen in late 2010 that Stanley was his top pick for the job, protracted negotiations ensued.

Stanley was appointed to the position permanently in April 2011, just days after signs popped up all over Wareham stating, "we want Stanley or we want a recall" -- a threat by Stanley supporters to call a special election to unseat Selectmen if their man did not get the job.

According to his contract, Stanley was eligible for a 3% merit increase in the second year of his contract but, according to Sullivan, requested that he not receive it.

Sullivan says he won't know exactly how much Stanley will receive upon retirement for accrued vacation and sick time until a solid retirement date is set, but he said that "$60,000 is a fair estimate."