Auburn city employee Michael Long will be moving back to the town where he grew up, if all goes as planned.

Long, director of capital projects and grants for the city, is the top candidate to become Poughkeepsie's new city administrator. Poughkeepsie Mayor John Tkazyik has appointed Long to the position, and the city's nine-person council is scheduled to vote on the position at its June 2 meeting.

As the chief administrative officer at Poughkeepsie's city hall, Long would oversee the city's day-to-day operations. Long has some administrative experience, as he served as Auburn's interim city manager for about five months in 2006 and 2007.

“Small cities are the area where I have the most experience,” said Long. “They are looking for a person who does a lot of things I'm interested in.”

Long said he is especially interested in getting involved with the city's downtown and waterfront revitalization projects.

Though he has worked in Auburn for 27 years, Long has personal connections with Poughkeepsie. He grew up in the city, and his parents still reside there.

“I think this would be a great opportunity to spend a little more time with my parents,” he said.

Tkazyik said Long's connection to the city was one of his most attractive attributes. However, Long's background and expertise made him stand out from the 60 other applicants, Tkazyik said.

“We're very excited here in Poughkeepsie about his coming home,” he said. “He is well-rounded in his municipal experience.”