By KALEY CONNER

kconner@dailynews.net

A new assistant city manager has been hired for the city of Hays to fill a position vacated in August.

Paul Briseno, who serves as the assistant to the city administrator in Grand Island, Neb., will begin work Nov. 9.

"I'm excited about the opportunity to work with such a progressive municipal government," Briseno said in a press release. "I am very impressed with the community and quality of life Hays offers."

Briseno replaces Mark Loughry, who resigned this summer to become city administrator in Basehor, a Kansas City, Kan., suburb.

A national search followed Loughry's departure, and 140 candidates applied for the job. Four candidates were brought in for interviews, and Briseno stood out as the most "polished" and "experienced" candidate, Dougherty said.

"He seems to be not only a very competent, capable person, but he is energetic," he said. "He's very well-regarded by those who work with him and have worked with him in the past. I think he's going to come in and just fit right in to our organization here and work well with the rest of the department heads."

Dougherty had the authority to select a new assistant, and the decision did not require approval from the city commission.

Briseno has worked in his current position since 2004. Grand Island had a population of about 45,800 in 2008.

Briseno also has previous experience in retail management, which Dougherty said will be beneficial to local government.

"We are here to serve the public," Dougherty said. "In the retail sector, you are there to serve the public; you are there to serve your customers."