BAYFIELD – The town of Bayfield introduced two finalists for the position of town manager at a community open house attended by both candidates on Thursday.

The finalists are Joseph Darter, property manager for the city of Bloomington, Illinois, and Joseph Kerby, county manager for Jefferson County.

Both candidates have more than a decade of experience in municipal management.

Darter and Kerby introduced themselves to about 35 people at the Pine River Senior Center before chatting with the attendees in small, informal groups.

Attendees – business owners, town officials and longtime residents – expressed a desire for a town manager who would facilitate growth while maintaining Bayfield’s small-town character.

Others said they wanted a manager who is attentive to residents’ opinions.

“It’s really important to have someone we can all feel comfortable speaking to,” an attendee said.

After meeting the candidates, attendees completed feedback forms for the Board of Trustees to consider before making their final decision.

“That's going to be an important part of the process,” said Bayfield Mayor Tom Au.

During his introduction, Darter spoke about his 13 years of experience managing Bloomfield’s municipal services, emphasizing his management of the 70,000-acre watershed, as well as his longtime dream of living in Colorado.

In an interview with The Durango Herald, Darter said his current job has provided him with the necessary skills for the position of town manager.

“Anything that happens in the town, that's part of my responsibility,” he said. “And so I'm acutely aware of the budget constraints smaller communities have, and how they can position (themselves) in the future.”

Additionally, Darter said his approachable personality would be well-suited for the position.

“People seek me out to talk about difficult subjects, which I love,” he said. “And I think that's a sign of leadership when people can do that.”

Kerby also mentioned his work experience in his introduction. He has 22 years of leadership experience as a county and a city manager for communities with populations ranging from 3,000 residents to 594,000.

Through his decades working in municipal management, Kerby said in an interview with the Herald that he has developed a collaboration-based leadership approach.

“I think community engagement is really critical. That's one thing that I've taken away being able to have – what I refer to as civil discourse,” Kerby said. “It’s OK to disagree, but I think how we treat one another in a community is important, and so I think always treating each other with the dignity and respect is important to communities – for them to process issues and hopefully to chart a way forward.”

Kerby has previously worked in the area, serving as La Plata County manager from 2012-17. He said his knowledge of the area and professional interactions with the Bayfield town employees would be an asset for the town.

Both candidates acknowledged the town’s need for controlled growth.

Darter said his ability to think long-term would be helpful in approaching that goal, while Kerby said he would approach growth by following the comprehensive plan Bayfield developed in 2023.

Au said the finalist will likely be announced Tuesday at the board meeting, depending on how long employment negotiations take.

jbowman@durangoherald.com