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The Auburn City Council will vote this week to amend Haines' contract and change her start date to May 31. That will coincide with outgoing Auburn City Manager Jeff Dygert's retirement on May 30.Ìý

The initial plan was for Dygert to serve the remainder of his contract, which expires at the end of June. But he informed the City Council that he will retire a month earlier, allowing Haines to take over the position before the end of the fiscal year.

Haines will continue to serve as assistant city manager until Dygert's retirement.

The amended contract doesn't alter the key terms for Haines. She will be paid a base annual salary of $150,000 and the agreement runs through June 2028.

Dygert announced last year that he would retire after 31 years of city service. His career began as a firefighter with the Auburn Fire Department. He was promoted to fire chief in 2011.

In 2016, he was named interim city manager before the City Council appointed him to the post later that year.

After Dygert informed the City Council of his retirement plan, a search for a new city manager began. The process was short, with Haines emerging as a top candidate for the position.Ìý

Haines, like Dygert, is a longtime city employee. She was hired as a secretary in the city's planning department in 1993 and promoted to planning assistant after one year. She held other positions within the department, including planning and economic development manager, community development planner and senior planner.Ìý

In 2007, Haines was appointed director of the planning department. She served in that role until her recent promotion to assistant city manager.

Haines joins other trailblazers in city government. In 98 years since the city first appointed a city manager, she will be the first woman to hold the position.

As manager, Haines will oversee the city's day-to-day operations. According to a job description on the city's website, her responsibilities will include budgeting, financial analysis, grant management, insurance and risk management, inter-municipal relations and labor relations.