The Town of Hillsborough will be saying goodbye to a key staff member at the end of this month.
The local government shared a release on Tuesday announcing Assistant Town Manager Margaret Hauth will be retiring from her role on February 28 after three decades of working with the town. During that time, Hillsborough said she’s seen the community “more than double in population and the town government grow to meet the needs of the residents and business owners.”
“People come to the planning office with their hopes and dreams,” Hauth described of residents in Tuesday’s release. “They want to build a house or they want to build a fence, and some are scared to talk to the government. I’ve enjoyed that whole process of being able to help individuals and families achieve what they want to achieve and answering their questions.”
“Anyone who knows Margaret has seen how amazingly committed she is to doing what’s best for our community,” Town Manager Eric Peterson said. “There are so many things that make Margaret and her 30-plus years of service to Hillsborough special that it’s overwhelming to narrow it down to a just a few. Her biggest contribution is a town and its government that are far better off because of her decades of service, commitment, patience, and passion to make a difference.”
Hauth began working for the town part-time as a planning assistant in 1991 while earning her graduate degree from UNC. The next summer, she was hired full-time as Hillsborough’s planning director. Through her tenure, Hauth is credited for projects as large as the town’s Vision 2010 and Vision 2030 plans to as specific as transitioning the planning department away from completing permits on a typewriter. Most recently, she earned the new title of Community Services Director in 2021 — meaning she oversees the planning department and several other divisions.
“I am deeply grateful for the trust the town put in me in 1991 and throughout my career,” Hauth said. “I was inexperienced, unknown, and had no local ties when I applied for a permanent part-time position. I got lucky to find such a great home.”
Hillsborough Mayor Jenn Weaver told 97.9 The Hill she believes Hauth has been “an incredible part of the Town of Hillsborough” over these decades. She praised the planner’s institutional knowledge and credited her for taking up many small tasks and roles that may not have clear delegation to other staff members. Weaver pointed to Hauth’s application for an emergency housing grant during the COVID-19 pandemic as recent example, with Hillsborough earning $600,000 in funding.
“That’s just a huge amount of money for Hillsborough for emergency housing,” said Weaver. “I think that anyone who has worked with Margaret, especially elected officials, knows she’s really willing to tell us really clear facts, really hard truths at times. She doesn’t sugarcoat things, and sometimes you really need that when you’re trying to make a decision.”
Tuesday’s release said Hauth plans to stay active in the community during retirement through volunteering with several Hillsborough groups, as well as reaching her goal of visiting all 50 states. The town government will host a farewell party for Hauth on Tuesday, February 28 at the Town Hall Annex building on East Corbin Street from 3-5 p.m.
Photo via the Town of Hillsborough.
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