What job do Ben Wyatt and Chris Traeger have when they first come to Pawnee?

Ben Wyatt and Chris Traeger are state auditors when they first come to Pawnee. They arrive together in “The Master Plan,” the second-season finale, as representatives of Indiana’s state government.

Their assignment is to examine Pawnee’s finances and help address the city’s severe budget problems. The audit leads to painful cutbacks and eventually a three-month shutdown of Pawnee’s government, creating the central conflict that carries into the third season.

The answer is sometimes confused with “city planners” because Ben later becomes involved in city management and urban-development decisions. Chris also eventually becomes Pawnee’s acting city manager, but neither character begins the show in that role. Ben and Chris were introduced as temporary guest characters, yet both became important regular figures in the series.