She has served under nine mayors, 24 city commissioners, five city auditors and one administrator.

Although not always the most visible of city officials, Phyllis Hager is key to Mandan running every week.

In fact, after 42 years of dedicated work, she is retiring at year's end.

In October of 1966, Hager began her city career as a secretary in cramped quarters in the original City Hall, the current fire hall. The city administration was downstairs. Upstairs was the police department and building inspector.

Hager grew up in the St. Anthony area, graduated from Mandan High School and studied at what's now Bismarck State College. She is a lifelong resident of the community.

"A position opened. Arnie Livdahl was the auditor. He was looking for a secretary-receptionist," she recalled.

In 1977, the city offices were relocated to their site at the former World War Memorial Building. "This was a swimming pool," she said. "But they converted it all to offices."

Through the years, she progressed from administrative assistant to accounting technician to deputy auditor. In times of transition, she also functioned as acting city auditor.

Hager said things are done a lot differently than in 1966.

"The obvious changes are the technology," she said.

"It's amazing what a fax machine and so on can do. If my grandmother saw that you could send a document across the country in a couple of minutes, (she wouldn't believe it). To me, that's a big thing, and the computers, of course."

Documenting city business is still challenging, but not at the level it was four decades ago.

"We had to type with carbon copies on manual typewriters and these big clunker adding machines. … That's what I first used as typewriters. We didn't have whiteout you could go back and erase your error with. Triplicate carbon copies were something you always had in your storage area."

She recalled completing manual spreadsheets for her revenue work as an accounting technician. "You had to manually add it all in columns. The computers didn't do it for you," she said.

In the early 1990s, state legislation spelled out what an auditor's duties would be. The city created the new position of administrator and Hager was appointed deputy auditor.

Hager has worn many hats. She currently focuses upon benefits for special assessment issues involving construction projects, related revenue checks, annexation and replats of property.

She also licenses various contractors, coordinates drug testing for city workers, attends all department heads and city commission meetings, oversees evaluations and co-manages the city office with the finance director.

She said she balances it all according to the priority. She also helps schedule staff.

"It has been very diversified, very interesting and challenging," Hager said. "You meet a lot of people. It's rewarding when something's done correctly and people compliment you."

She has been lauded by her superiors for calming even the most angry of people coming through City Hall.

"I am empathetic and try to be understanding," Hager said. "They don't always understand special assessments. The bill looks so high, but I explain to them how much they will be spending per year."

She repeats that technology has eased some of the tedious tasks.

"Automation has expedited some the duties of people. If we had to stuff all of the envelopes, all of the water bills, it would take more people, but we have machines doing that."

Her duties have required late nights on occasion. "I was at a city commission meeting until 11 p.m. … We have to do overtime sometimes."

Although Morton County now runs the elections, Hager and staff have had to verify petitions coming through for municipal elections.

She and husband, Jerry, intend on becoming "snowbirds," spending summers in Brush Lake and their winters in Arizona.

Retirement also should free her to spend more time with her four grown children and nine grandchildren.

"It has been very rewarding. I will miss the people," Hager said.

(Reach reporter LeAnn Eckroth at 250-8264 or leann.eckroth@;bismarcktribune.com.)