Good with numbers? La Plata County may have a job for you.
Staff are still searching for qualified candidates to fill the county treasurer position following Allison Aichele’s announcement that she would resign from the position effective Nov. 4.
The Board of County Commissioners will appoint someone to fill the position until the November 2024 general election.
The county started accepting job applications following Aichele’s resignation on July 18 and had five applicants by the time that period closed on Aug. 4. In a report to the Board of County Commissioners, County Manager Chuck Stevens called the size of the applicant pool “a little disappointing.”
Of the five applicants, staff determined only one was qualified.
According to state statute, the only legal requirements for the job are that the appointee be at least 18 years of age and a resident of La Plata County for at least 12 months.
However, Stevens said the BOCC is likely to select someone with a financial background who will work closely with County Assessor Carrie Woodson and Clerk and Recorder Tiffany Lee.
Given that the candidate chosen will receive job training on the specifics of working for local government, Stevens said he hopes that the appointee will want to run for the seat in 2024.
“It would be nice to have someone who … wanted to get in there, see what’s going on, and stay,” Woodson told the BOCC in a work session last week. She called the possibility of someone staying in the position for only a year “problematic.”
Erin Hutchins is a likely favorite for the position. She challenged Aichele last November and lost the election by just 344 votes. Hutchins confirmed Monday that she threw her name into the ring once again.
“I could bring more collaboration within the county,” Hutchins said. “I could adhere to all the Colorado Revised Statutes, policies and everything that is required of the job, as well as making the office more balanced.”
If appointed, Hutchins said she would “absolutely” be open to running for the seat in next year’s general election.
Hutchins’ commitment to bring “more collaboration” to the office is likely something that other elected officials would embrace. She spent over a decade working for Lee in the Clerk and Recorder’s office.
In a work session with the BOCC last week, Lee specifically said that “collaborating with other county departments with a positive and approachable attitude” was a key attribute she would like to see in the appointee.
“The current treasurer has been a challenge to work with,” Woodson told commissioners. “… It’s really important that we all work together, because we have a lot of processes that are joined together.”
Commissioners and county employees are reaching out to other contacts in the financial world, hoping to solicit more applications. The job posting on the county’s website will remain open until staff determines there is a sufficient applicant pool.
rschafir@durangoherald.com
