Pitkin County chair to resign in February; county opens application process for interim District 2 seat
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Summary
Chair Kelly announced a resignation effective Feb. 16 and the board and staff outlined an accelerated application and interview timeline for an interim District 2 appointment, with interest forms due Feb. 6 and interviews planned Feb. 17 ahead of a Feb. 25 appointment.
Chair Kelly, chair of the Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners, announced Jan. 14 that she has submitted her resignation, effective Feb. 16, and will attend her final official meeting Feb. 11.
"I've announced my resignation, which, will be effective February 16, and I will attend my last official board meeting on February 11," Kelly said during opening remarks.
Interim county manager Kara Silvernagle told the board staff will run an application process to fill the seat for the remaining 10 months of the term. The county has posted a Google form on its website with eligibility requirements and a timeline. "As of right now, we are now accepting applications from interested parties," Silvernagle said, explaining that applicants must live in District 2 for at least one year prior to appointment and be registered voters.
Key dates the board reviewed: interest forms will be accepted through Feb. 6 at 5 p.m.; staff will offer a county 101 overview to interested candidates Feb. 9–13; the list of candidates will be reviewed at the Feb. 10 work session; interviews are tentatively planned for Feb. 17 (about 30 minutes per interview); and the appointment and oath of office are scheduled for the Feb. 25 regular meeting.
Commissioners urged community members who want to run for the full, four‑year seat this year to use the timeline to prepare for the primary in July and the November general election. Silvernagle said the application form includes typical interview prompts: why the candidate is interested, boards or commissions served, top issues for the next 10 months and five years, and a current resume.
The board did not make a binding personnel decision at the Jan. 14 meeting; commissioners directed staff to proceed with outreach and the advertised schedule. The office handling candidate questions is the county manager’s office; HR contact Melissa Knight is posted on the application page.
Next steps: staff will collect and vet interest forms, hold informational briefings, interview candidates at a February meeting, and bring an appointment back to the commission for action Feb. 25.
