Montrose, COLO.— Following the conclusion of the statutorily mandated process, the board of county commissioners approved a contract for the position of Montrose County Manager with current Interim County Manager Jon Waschbusch. In a 3-0 vote by the board, Waschbusch was praised for his dedication to the county and accomplishments thus far in 16 years as a county employee.
“Without a doubt we have the right person for this job,” said Commissioner Sue Hansen. “During his tenure with the county, he continued to seek new challenges, challenge others and bring new vision to the county that sets us up for a bright future. I am proud to endorse Jon Waschbusch as our new county manager.”
“My thanks to the board for allowing me the opportunity,” said Waschbusch in today’s board meeting. “We are in a very good position right now. We have an outstanding professional staff who have the dedication to public service and that makes it a team that I’m proud to be a part of. We have great community partners—both public and private—that make this a great community to be a part of. There’s 138 years of history in this county that show that when everyone gets a vision and is on the same page that we are capable of pretty much anything and I believe that holds true today.”
Mr. Waschbusch previously served as the Interim County Manager for Montrose County as well the Director of the Government Affairs and Natural Resources Division. Jon's direct supervisory responsibilities have included Public Health, Planning & Development, IT, Veterans' Services, Ecological Services, and GIS. In addition to his supervisory responsibilities, he provides executive leadership assistance to the Board of County Commissioners and organization as a whole. Areas of emphasis include strategic initiatives, project management, and long range planning and operational efficiency. Jon was the project lead for the creation of the Rimrocker Trail from Montrose to Moab, Utah.
Mr. Waschbusch holds a bachelor’s degree in public planning from Northern Arizona University and a Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Colorado Denver. Jon has also earned an A.I.C.P. certification through the American Planning Association. Mr. Waschbusch has been a part of the Montrose County organization since 2005 and has served in various leadership roles during that time. Outside of county work, Jon has served on numerous boards in leadership roles.
As one of two contract employees for the county, Waschbusch is retained at $157,000 for the first year of the agreement. He is also subject to annual performance evaluations. The entire employment contract is available here. For more information on Montrose County, please visit montrosecounty.net.