NORTH AUGUSTA - On March 1, C. Samuel Bennett II will become only the third city administrator in North Augusta's history.

City officials said Mr. Bennett, the city manager of Clinton, S.C., was the unanimous choice for the job.

Current Administrator Charles Martin, who will retire Feb 28 after 27 years, announced his retirement in October, and North Augusta council members interviewed four candidates for the post before the holidays.

"I'm very pleased with the mayor and the city council's selection," Mr. Martin said. "I think he's going to be a real good man for the position."

Mr. Bennett, 36, said he was attracted to North Augusta for both personal and professional reasons.

"Professionally, it was the opportunity to come work for an organization like North Augusta - a fast-growing municipality with great employees, great traditions," he said.

Mr. Bennett, who has served as the Clinton city manager for six years, also said North Augusta would be an attractive community in which to raise a family.

Clinton's mayor lauded Mr. Bennett as a creative thinker and a hard worker.

"When we hired him, everybody told us he was one of the up-and-coming young city managers in the state, and that's the truth. North Augusta has gotten a first-class individual," Mayor Randy Randall said.

During his first week on the job in Clinton, the community's largest employer, a major textile manufacturer, announced it was closing, said Larry Franklin, the publisher of The Clinton Chronicle.

However, he said, Mr. Bennett was instrumental in bringing a Sterilite Corp. plant, which manufactures plastic storage containers, to the community. The opening of the plant added about 800 jobs to the work force, he said.

Mr. Bennett also was behind the creation of the Clinton Economic Development Corp., for which the city purchased about 400 acres for retail and commercial development, he said.

During his tenure, Mr. Bennett has secured more than $8 million in federal and state grants for projects such as the corporate park and the revitalization of the downtown Clinton area, Mr. Randall said.

"I understand North Augusta is experiencing a lot of growth, and we have not. But he has done things in the six years he's been here to get us ready," Mr. Franklin said.

According to U.S. Census estimates, the 2005 population of North Augusta was 19,467 and Clinton's was 9,071.

Mr. Bennett, who will receive a salary of $115,000, said his biggest challenge in North Augusta will be to handle the growth that is expected.

However, he said, "My top priority is to get to know the employees of the city and the community."

The city of North Augusta has 203 full-time and 21 part-time employees, according to the 2007 budget. Clinton has about 115 employees.

Mr. Bennett also will oversee the construction of the city's $19 million municipal center.

Reach Betsy Gilliland at (803) 648-1395, ext. 113, or betsy.gilliland@augustachronicle.com.