Durango’s city manager holds one of the most consequential jobs in our region. As the city’s chief executive officer, the manager carries out the City Council’s direction, oversees daily operations, manages finances, supervises staff and department heads, and ensures laws and policies are executed. In the city’s organizational chart, residents sit at the top – a reminder of whom the government ultimately serves. The manager oversees 430 year-round full time employees, about 300 part-time/seasonal employees, 13 department heads, and the Prosperity and Public Information offices. With a 2025 salary of $258,902.28, expectations are high – and rightly so.
The city’s charter requires an annual public opportunity to evaluate the city manager. This year’s survey is open through Sunday, Nov. 23, and can be completed in just a few minutes at https://bit.ly/3LTQGhJ. The city says all responses will remain anonymous. City Council plans to release an executive summary of the evaluation by early January 2026.
Annual evaluations include a manager self-assessment and quarterly council reviews. For 2024, City Manager José Madrigal received “Exceeds Expectations” in City Council engagement, financial management, implementation of council goals, organizational development, strategic leadership and team development. Only one category – community collaboration and engagement – received a “Meets Expectations,” an area the Herald’s editorial board and many residents hope to see strengthened.
To be clear, Madrigal has led meaningful progress since beginning his tenure in December 2020. Employees describe an improved internal culture emphasizing collaboration, innovation, and trust. His Executive Leadership Team and Growth & Momentum series have created new opportunities for directors and supervisors to learn, coordinate, and problem-solve. These efforts shape how the city serves its residents.
Major initiatives have advanced under Madrigal’s guidance: 408 workforce housing units approved; significant investments in community safety; financial awards for transparency; and record-setting economic growth. The Best Western workforce housing project broke ground. The city secured the future site of City Hall and the police department – a long-envisioned project finally moving forward. Local nonprofits have benefited from expanded city collaboration.
But these successes did not occur in isolation. Community members, businesses, and advocacy groups such as Citizens Voice Durango played pivotal roles in shaping outcomes, especially around the fire station location. That project changed course only after sustained public pressure for transparency and better planning. Likewise, the long-awaited Camino underpass advanced this week only after residents and business leaders again stepped forward. Their advocacy helped secure additional design funds; while the Council made the right decision, it was far from guaranteed.
This underscores a lingering concern: the dissolution of several long-standing advisory boards, that for years provided institutional memory and citizen expertise. Their absence, combined with notable staff turnover, has made it harder for residents to feel connected to decision-making and has required the public to continually re-educate incoming staff on long-term projects. Advisory boards helped stabilize major civic efforts; their loss is felt.
The Engage Durango platform has broadened access to information, both online and in person. Yet it cannot replace the civic value of public hearings, advisory boards, and direct dialogue between residents and elected officials. Trust is built through participation, not just communication.
The Herald’s editorial board supported Madrigal’s hiring in 2020, and we continue to recognize the professionalism and stability he has brought to City Hall. Still, even strong leaders must keep growing.
As Madrigal enters another year, community collaboration and engagement should become a top priority. Durango residents are deeply invested in their city and want to feel heard not only when controversy erupts, but consistently. Strengthening the city’s connection with everyday citizens must remain central to the work ahead.
We also encourage renewed focus on staff continuity to keep long-term projects on track. Reestablishing the Multi-Modal, Parks & Recreation, Natural Lands, and Infrastructure advisory boards – even in a consolidated form – would help preserve institutional knowledge and maintain momentum across councils.
Durango’s achievements do not belong to one office alone. They belong to the staff, volunteers, residents, businesses, and local organizations who show up every day to make Durango better. We thank all of them.
Madrigal has brought professionalism and ambition to City Hall. The challenge for the year ahead is clear: keep Durango’s momentum strong – and strengthen the city’s partnership with the people it serves.
