Gene Albaugh will be around Nevada City for a while.

Late Wednesday, city council members hired Albaugh as their city manager, saying they were pleased with his performance as interim city manager since March.

He replaces Mark Miller, who resigned in February to take a job with the county. Council members also commended Miller and thanked him for his service of 6 years.

Council members said they were "delighted" to keep Albaugh on.

"We think you're a great fit and glad to have you," Mayor Sally Harris added, to the applause of about 20 people in the audience.

"I told the council, when I heard about this, they made a good decision," Albaugh replied with a laugh.

"I'm just thrilled that Gene is going to stick around," Miller said.

Albaugh's confirmation became effective Wednesday for the post paying $95,000 yearly; Albaugh said he'd stay at least two years, possibly three.

As interim city manager, Albaugh earned $50 an hour for 30 hours of work per week. The former Nevada County administrator also received a $300 monthly transportation allowance for his commute from Auburn. It was unclear late Wednesday if that allowance would continue.

Albaugh "stepped right into that chair like he'd already been here for a year," Harris said before the meeting.

The advertisement for the position listed the starting salary as between $85,000 and $95,000 a year. Miller was earning around $85,000 annually when he accepted a job as Nevada County's director of sanitation, a position that pays $107,788 a year.

Albaugh is a longtime area resident who lived in western Nevada County in the 1980s.

To contact Staff Writer Pat Butler, e-mail pbutler@theunion.com or call 477-4239.