Goodman assistant returning to the gym

Dan Kulin

Monday, Aug. 29, 2005 | 9:14 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman's personal fitness trainer is leaving his City Hall job to return to the gym full time.

Frank Butterfield, 45, said he enjoyed working for the mayor, but he misses working as a personal trainer and was becoming too preoccupied with work for the city.

His official title for the last nine months has been special assistant to the mayor. His last day will be Friday.

Las Vegas Athletic Clubs, where he worked before joining the city staff, is "where my roots are," Butterfield said Friday. "I miss the club, and I miss training people."

Butterfield said he also found himself getting too wrapped up in city business, particularly homeless youth issues.

"The straw that broke the camel's back was the camp of homeless kids," which Butterfield said frequently moves around and also frequently occupied his thoughts.

"I was waking up at night thinking: What is the answer? It's not the kind of thing you can leave at the office," he said.

"One Sunday night I was climbing through storm drains, and I knew I had crossed the line," he said about looking for homeless children that night. "I let the job take over."

Goodman said he has "put on a good 15 pounds" since Butterfield stopped training him and came to work for the city. Before working for the city, Butterfield had helped Goodman lose about 35 pounds, largely through changes to the mayor's diet and early-morning walks.

The mayor said he will resume training with Butterfield after Butterfield's stint with the city ends.

"He's not leaving me. He's just going to have to wake up early. I have to worry about my beltline," the mayor said.

Goodman said he has not decided who will take Butterfield's place on his staff.

Butterfield and the mayor said Butterfield will continue doing some volunteer work for the city, such as serving on some committees.

Butterfield is a member of the Community Land Trust committee, which is examining the possibilities of creating more affordable housing; the Community Development Recommending Board, which reviews grant requests; and the Human Trafficking Committee, which looks at the international issue's effect on Las Vegas.

Goodman said he also expects to contact Butterfield for advice on homeless issues.

Butterfield began work with the city on Dec. 15, with a starting annual salary of $60,000. His annual salary is now $61,800, according to a city spokeswoman.