City Manager

A MESSAGE FROM THE CITY MANAGER

Welcome to the City of Cortez

The City of Cortez is a great place to work, but more especially live.  Cortez is a welcoming community and we enjoy sharing our city and its surroundings with the many tourists and visitors who travel here each year. We are perfectly positioned in magnificent surroundings that provide year round access to fun and recreation that people come from far and near to enjoy.  During the shoulder seasons, it is not uncommon to pull into a gas station and fill up next to someone with a boat, UTV, mountain bikes, kayaks, snowmobiles, skis, or a golf cart, and sometimes all at once.  Recreation here is only limited to your imagination and the direction you decide to go that day.  I also invite you to visit our beautiful parks and sporting amenities, as well as our spacious recreation center. 

As your city manager, it is my job to ensure that the city maintains services, programs, and facilities that meet the needs of the community in a fiscally responsible manner.  I report directly to the City Council and I am responsible for the day-to-day operations of the city.  We, the team members who labor in the various departments of the city, are proud of the work that we do to serve this community and keep Cortez the special place that it is.  We would not be successful as a city government were it not for the hard work and dedication of our team members and the support of our community.  For a smaller city, we have a lot to offer and are proud that we are a full service organization.  I am honored to serve under the direction of our City Council who have outlined the following priorities for our city:

  • Infrastructure improvements (streets, airport, water lines) 
  • Urban renewal and economic development / incentivize redevelopment 
  • Water conservation 
  • Update water use ordinance(s) 
  • Complete drought mitigation plan 
  • Update land use code to improve water conservation in future developments (increased size of building footprints, xeriscaping, etc.) 
  • Housing 
  • Accomplish via an updated land use code that better meets the current needs of the City 
  • Housing policy 
  • 7 th Street park/housing project 
  • Update guiding documents 
  • Land Use Code 
  • Charter and Code of Ordinances 
  • Parks and Recreation Master Plan 
  • Model Procurement Code


Whether you are a resident or a visitor, I invite you to enjoy all that Cortez has to offer. If I can be of assistance to you please don’t hesitate to contact me via email or telephone.


The city manager is hired by the City Council and is the chief executive officer and the head of the administrative branch. He oversees all city departments and advises the City Council. 

Location of City Manager's Office

The city manager's office is located at City Hall.  

Alternatives for Better Service

The city manager and his staff work to implement City Council policy, provide alternatives to improve service to the residents, manage public funds, and oversee all departmental budgets. The city manager also works as a liaison between City Council, staff, and the public.