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Routt County names new county manager

Jay Harrington (Courtesy photo)

Jay Harrington, the town manager of Carbondale, has been selected to take over the position of Routt County manager beginning Sept. 20.

The Routt County Board of Commissioners chose Harrington after a selection process involving multiple Routt County employees and community members.

“After a rigorous process examining several candidates, we concluded that Jay’s experience, honesty, ethics, unique background and cooperative leadership style will enable him to thrive as our County Manager,” Routt County Commissioner Tim Corrigan said in a news release Friday.



“We are excited to have Jay join our team and help guide Routt County’s future. We are also very grateful to (Interim County Manager Mark Collins) for his service these last 16 months during a very difficult time,” Corrigan added.

Harrington has worked in Colorado government for 27 years, spending the last 10 years in Carbondale, south of Glenwood Springs.



What drew Harrington to the job was Routt County’s reputation and that it is in one of the most beautiful parts of the state in his mind.

“It’s got a reputation as being well governed and being a well-run county in good financial shape,” Harrington said. “I’ve been very fortunate to spend 30 years of my career on the Western Slope of Colorado and … Routt County aligns with my lifestyle and my interests.”

While most of his roles have been with municipalities, Harrington said he has always had strong relationships with respective counties, even when the two don’t necessarily align politically.

“I really look forward to working with the different local governments and the federal land managers in the area,” Harrington said.

Harrington began his career as a senior planner in La Plata County in soutwest Colorado and has worked in Cortez, Archuleta County, Telluride and Pagosa Springs.

Harrington has a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and sociology from St. Lawrence University in New York and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Colorado Denver. He’s an avid hockey player, cyclist and outdoorsman.

“My lifestyle is all in for what Routt County has to offer,” Harrington said. “I definitely live the mountain lifestyle.”


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