Carol Krager, the official who kept the record of every Tigard City Council meeting for two decades, has retired.

Krager announced her retirement at the council's Aug. 11 meeting, where councilors passed a resolution in her honor, Tigard Life reported. She had served as city recorder since 2006.

The role put Krager at the center of city operations. She managed the Tigard municipal code and the Tigard Development Code, oversaw local elections and stored every public comment and council proceeding.

One change she pointed to with pride: the municipal code is now available online. It used to live in paper binders.

"That's probably one of the favorite parts of my job, the elections," Krager told Tigard Life. "It's kind of like you get a first look at people that are interested in serving the city."

She said she especially enjoyed interacting with local candidates during the filing process and hearing their ideas for why they wanted to serve.

Mayor Yi-Kang Hu called Krager "one of the most meticulous, caring and professional city recorders" he has worked with at the Aug. 11 meeting.

Councilor Jake Schlack, who said he first met Krager when she was a community volunteer before joining city staff, praised her integrity and commitment to public service.

Krager said she would miss her coworkers most of all. She plans to spend more time with her grandkids and visit her daughter and son-in-law, who are moving to Denmark.

The city is already searching for her replacement. The City of Tigard posted the opening on Aug. 20 with a salary range of $144,704 to $189,201. Applications closed Aug. 27. The job description lists managing council meeting processes, coordinating municipal elections and overseeing public records among the position's core duties.

The timing matters. A mayor's seat and three council positions are on the Nov. 3 ballot, according to the city's Cityscape newsletter. The new recorder will help manage that election.