A single finalist remains for the position of La Plata County manager after one of the candidates rescinded their application shortly after being named a finalist.
John Cattles, assistant county manager for Gunnison County, is now the sole candidate for the job after Gurjit Chima withdrew her application, said Ted Holteen, county spokesman.
Holteen said he could not confirm the reason for Chima’s withdrawal but had heard she accepted another job.
While Cattles is the only finalist, that does not guarantee he will be hired, Holteen said. Scheduled interviews and a public meet-and-greet will take place, and commissioners could choose to reopen the search.
As assistant county manager in Gunnison County, Cattles said he oversees several internal-facing departments, including information technology, facilities and the fairgrounds. Much of his work, though, lies in projects that don’t fit neatly into one department – from construction to countywide initiatives.
Budget management has also been a major part of his role. While Cattles acknowledged he is not responsible for final budget decisions, he said he has been closely involved in developing and working with staff to craft department-level budgets and aligning them with board priorities.
In a smaller organization like Gunnison County, with about half the staff of La Plata County, that has meant engaging in everything from service delivery to long-term planning, he said.
Looking at La Plata County’s finances, he acknowledged the structural challenges that will require tough decision-making in the years ahead.
“There’s been a lot of efforts in that direction already, and so I’m not going to overpromise what I might be able to accomplish there, but I definitely do have experience in developing budgets,” Cattles said.
Much of his financial philosophy, he added, was formed while running his own business. He steered his company through the Great Recession, an experience that forced him to make tough decisions.
“We had to let some people go that we didn’t want to let go. And I don’t take that lightly,” Cattles said. “That’s the last thing I want to see cut if possible. Any way that we can avoid cutting staff, that’s really important to me. But I’m also a realist.”
He said he approaches local government “almost like a business,” with a responsibility to deliver services efficiently to residents.
Cattles holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental design in architecture and a master’s degree in public administration. Before entering government, he worked as a general contractor and building designer for his own company – a path he had dreamed of since childhood.
“I always wanted to build homes. When I graduated high school, I really wanted to do that type of thing and I wanted to build really efficient homes,” Cattles said. “I was really concerned about climate change, and I got to do that. And I still get to do that in my current role.”
In Gunnison County, he helped write the climate action plan and oversaw the electrification of nearly all county buildings, reducing their emissions by about 60%. While he said the budget deficit would be the most pressing issue in La Plata County, he would also be interested in pursuing similar work here.
“One thing I’ve learned over time is that one of the most effective things a local government can do to address climate change is to make sure that our land-use plans are very efficient,” Cattles said. “Land use affects transportation, it affects the types of buildings we build, and it affects how people live their lives.”
Outside of work, Cattles said he spends a lot of time hiking, skiing and mountain biking with his family – in sync with the leisure activities of a typical Durangoan. He and his wife have three daughters, and while two of them have left the nest, if he does get the job the whole family would eventually relocate with him.
Cattles will interview with county officials from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday in Durango.
A staff meet-and-greet will be held that day, followed by a public reception from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Board Room of the County Administration Building, 1101 East Second Ave. Residents are encouraged to attend.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
