Daryl Crites was appointed to the position of La Plata County Surveyor by the Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday.
He will serve a two-year term, until the next general election is held in 2026.
Crites has 51 years experience as a professional surveyor, he said, and said his interest in the position is rooted in wanting to give back to the community.
The county surveyor must represent the county in boundary disputes and locate lost, destroyed, or disputed corners and boundaries; notifies the county attorney of any unsettled boundary disputes or boundary discrepancies; and files all surveys, field notes, calculations, maps, and any other records pertaining to work authorized and financed by the Board of County Commissioners.
Steve McCormack has held the position intermittently over the last 40 years. He served as county surveyor from 1986 to 1994; he was reappointed to finish out his successor’s term in 1996; he was reappointed again in 2015 after the previous surveyor died. He won reelection in 2016 and 2018.
McCormack had initially expressed interest in running again in the November election, Crites said, but opted not to only after the filing deadline had passed, leaving the race entirely open on the ballot.
The part-time job has been, at times, difficult to fill. The pay is relatively poor, just $7,610 annually, and the work is limited although consistent.
Looking ahead to 2026, Crites said he wasn’t sure whether he would run.
“I can't commit to that now, but I also cannot say that I won't and it may depend on if other local surveyors are interested in the position,” he said.
Crites is a longtime Durango resident, athlete and outdoorsman. Crites Connection, a trail in the Horse Gulch area, is named after him. He is the past president of Goff Engineering and Surveying.
The new surveyor will take the oath of office Feb. 10.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
