Newly hired City Manager Paul Sabiston is ready to start his job Aug. 17, Mayor D.N. Beale said this morning.

Sabiston has acquired housing in the city and has been keeping up with the budget process. “He knows how we’ve increased the fund balance. He’s been excited about that,” Beale told The Spin.

Measures taken by council when the city learned in February it faced a $664,000 shortfall mean when it closed the books at the end of June, its fund balance increased 8.9 percent for a total of 17.2 percent. That represents a $1.9 million unreserved fund balance. Fund revenues for the year are expected to increase by more than $900,000.

While the city would like to restore some of the services lost during the cuts, Beale said, “We’re still not out of this crisis. Unemployment is still up. That’s why it’s important to maintain what we’re doing.”

That’s where Sabiston, town manager of Shallotte, will play an important role, the mayor said. “He’s going to do his job and we’re going to do ours.”

Beale said Sabiston is not expected to make many changes at first. “He will meet with department heads and go over their duties and take a look at the budget to see if there’s anything that can be improved.”

Sabiston is also expected to appoint a new planning director, the mayor said.

The city manager will earn $95,000 a year and will receive a monthly car allowance of $350 and 35 cents per mile for business travel outside Halifax County. He will receive a PDA/Blackberry device from the city and will be reimbursed up to $9,000 for moving expenses with the understanding he gets two estimates.

The city will pay temporary living expenses of $500 per month until he obtains a sale and closes on his existing home not to exceed six months. He is required to obtain permanent residency within the city limits within six months.

Sabiston has been in Shallotte nearly five years and was town administrator in Mexico Beach, Fla., before that.