The Sammamish City Council officially approved the contract for its next city manager during its regular meeting Tuesday evening after a roughly 20-minute executive session.

Deputy City Manager Lyman Howard will take over when City Manager Ben Yazici retires in February 2016.

Howard’s base salary as city manager will be $181,158.25. This will be an increase of about $4,400 from his current salary.

Yazici, who has been city manager for the past 14 years, currently earns a salary of $193,598.57.

Howard was named deputy city manager in 2011 after joining the city as its finance director about a decade ago.

He was the only candidate for the city manager opening, Councilmember Nancy Whitten said Tuesday.

He will begin his role as city manager March 1, 2016.