FAIRHOPE, Ala. — The City Council appointed Gregg Mims as Fairhope’s first city administrator this week.

The appointment was a promotion for Mims, who has worked for the city since 2006, when he was hired as planning director.

He will earn an annual salary of $110,000, about $20,000 more than his most recent job as general superintendent.

With his new job, Mims will be at the top of the administration’s organizational chart with only Mayor Tim Kant above him.

“I think it’s great,” Council President Debbie Quinn said at Monday’s council meeting. “There were two applicants for this position, both were in-house and both highly qualified.”

The other applicant’s name was withdrawn before the council met on July 13, she said.

With Mims’ appointment, Fairhope joins two other Baldwin County municipalities with city administrators, Quinn said.

Gulf Shores pays its city administrator $130,000 a year, and Orange Beach $90,000 annually, she said.

Mims, who held city manager jobs in Columbus and Hattiesburg, Miss., and been an urban planner in Mobile, said he met Tuesday with Kant and Councilmen Rick Kingrea and Lonnie Mixon to discuss his transition and other job issues.

“I feel like they realize the importance of turning the corner, of turning the page,” said Mims, referring to some of the controversy surrounding the creation of the city administrator job and the power struggles between council and mayor that have flared often and openly since last year’s elections.

“I think the public’s going to see some positive changes in how our elected officials are going to communicate with each other, and how business is conducted,” he said. “I think everyone’s ready to move on and work together as a group.”

The council voted 4-1 to promote Mims, with Councilman Mike Ford voting against the appointment.

In other business, the council:

• Appointed a Financial Advisory Committee, consisting of the following: Kant, all five council members, John A. Brown, Stan Grubin, Richard Kwapil, Mac McCauley, Marvin Wilder and Charles Zunk.

“The city’s annual budget is approaching $60 million,” said Mixon. “It’s no small task to manage a budget of that size.”

Mixon, who is chair of the council’s finance committee and led a budget study group, said the new advisory committee will provide greater transparency and accountability for the city’s finances.

“All meetings will be subject to the open meetings laws,” he said.

The group’s first meeting is set for 4 p.m., Wednesday, July 22.

• Approved unanimously a resolution requesting Kant to submit to the council a recommended budget for Fiscal Year 2010 by Sept. 1. The city’s fiscal year starts on Oct. 1.