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The city of Aspen will look internally for the next city attorney.
The Aspen City Council directed city staff to post an internal listing for the position after longtime City Attorney Jim True announced his retirement during a Dec. 3 meeting. True will vacate the role on Feb. 21, when his contract expires.
During a Monday work session, city staff asked council members if they preferred to look for an internal or external candidate, and if they preferred to recruit someone before or after the March election. Council agreed unanimously to look at internal candidates for the city attorney’s job. However, they will open the job to external candidates if they aren’t satisfied with the internal applicants.
“I’d rather keep it home, especially since I know we have some very wonderful qualified candidates who’d be interested,” said Councilman Sam Rose.
Council will be responsible for appointing the next city attorney. According to the city charter, the city attorney must be an attorney-at-law admitted to practice in Colorado.
City Manager Sara Ott said three current city employees would meet that criteria. Filling the role through an internal posting would take a minimum of six weeks, according to a memorandum sent to council members. The minimum time required for an external process would be around 14 weeks.
The city attorney’s office has three employees under True: assistant city attorneys Katharine Johnson and Luisa Berne, and senior paralegal Tara Nelson.
Council members agreed to move forward with hiring a replacement for True instead of waiting until after the March 4 election, which would have required appointing an interim city attorney.
True announced his retirement during a Dec. 3 meeting after 17 years of municipal legal work. He was named assistant city attorney in 2007 and was approved as city attorney in 2012 following the departure of John Worcester. Before his 17 years with the city, True was a two-term Pitkin County commissioner from 1989-97.
True previously told the Aspen Daily News he felt it was a good time to retire. In a letter to council, he said he was committed to helping facilitate a smooth transition for a successor.
“As we all know, the city of Aspen is unique in this world, and has throughout my tenure been served by intelligent, thoughtful, well-meaning elected officials and wonderful, dedicated and intelligent staff,” True wrote in the letter. “However, it is now time for me to step down.”
True moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in 1979.
The city council will review the job description during a Jan. 7 meeting.
“I think Jim has left a good legacy, and some candidates who can step right in,” Councilman John Doyle said.