GREELEY — The Weld County Council has received 11 applications for an open Weld County at-large commissioner position, vacated by Sean Conway on January 31.
Conway, a Republican, resigned with 11 months remaining in his final term in office. Two people have officially announced their intents to run for the seat. Current House District 49 Rep. Perry Buck, R-Windsor and Eaton Mayor Kevin Ross, also a Republican. It is unknown if anyone is running for the seat for the Democrats.
The Council will narrow the applications to a field of five finalists and will announce the five at a special meeting Wednesday. It will then conduct open interviews of those five at its Feb. 17th regular meeting, where it will also make its decision on who to appoint for Conway’s replacement.
Both meetings will be live-streamed on Complete Sherrie.
The chosen candidate is required to be sworn in by the commission at the Feb. 19th regular meeting.
Weld County is the only county in Colorado that appoints its own replacement commissioner when a vacancy occurs. In all other counties, a vacancy committee makes a recommendation to the governor, who then makes the formal appointment.
Weld County is a Home Rule Charter county. The Weld County Council was formed under that charter and charged with both the appointment process for commissioner as well as it sets the salaries for all elected officials in the county, except the district attorney.
The 11 applicants are (click on the name to see full application and resume):
- Gary (Butch) White — Ault resident and business owner. Former mayor of Ault.
- Mike Finn — Former Greeley City Council member. Finn ran for Commissioner District 2 in 2018 and lost in the primary to Scott James.
- Elijah Hatch — Kersey businessman and current Weld County Planning Commission member.
- Kevin Ross — Current mayor of Eaton and candidate for at-large commissioner seat.
- Perry Buck — Current House District 49 Representative and candidate for at-large commissioner seat.
- Chad Judge — Kersey resident and active volunteer within the community.
- Dave Kisker — Johnstown resident and retired professional. Founder of People United for Responsible Government, an organization formed to watchdog Weld County government.
- Eric Ewing — LaSalle resident and associate director of human resources for the High Plains Library District.
- Hunter Hoshiko — Greeley resident and project development manager for Poudre Valley Capital.
- David Feely — Greeley resident and business owner.
- Bill Gillard — Greeley resident and business owner.