County Attorney

Overview

Live and play in beautiful Chaffee County! Nestled in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Chaffee County offers an exceptional lifestyle that blends natural beauty, outdoor adventure, and a tight-knit community.

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The County Attorney is appointed by the Board of County Commissioners and serves at the pleasure of the Board. The County Attorney is the chief legal representative of Chaffee County, providing legal advice and representation to the Board and other elected officials including the Sheriff, Assessor, Treasurer, Clerk and Recorder, and Coroner. Upon request and in coordination with the County Administrator, provides legal support for County Boards, Commissions, and Committees, and various departments, including Community Planning and Natural Resources, Building Safety, Road and Bridge, Human Services, Public Health, Finance, Human Resources, Airport, Emergency Response and others.

The County Attorney represents the County in civil litigation, administrative proceedings, settlement discussions and similar adversary proceedings. The Attorney has supervisory and operational control over outside legal representation on behalf of the Board and represented parties. This position leads, mentors and manages the employees of the County Attorney’s Office.

The County Attorney, or the County’s delegate, will serve as legal expert and counsel for land use applications, in collaboration with the Community Planning and Natural Resources department and land use special counsel when warranted. The County Attorney manages and coordinates representation by special counsel for the County in child support and child welfare; dependency and neglect cases and adult protection cases, in collaboration with the County Department of Human Services.

The County Attorney also advises and may represent the Chaffee County Sheriff’s Office in legal issues.

The County Attorney works onsite in the County’s Administration building. The office is generally open 7:30 am to 5:30 pm Monday – Thursday, during the hours the building is open to the public. The County Attorney is expected to be present and participate in regular meetings of the Board of County Commissioners. The position is full-time, at a minimum of 40 hours per week, and requires a flexible schedule to meet the demands of the Board and the workload of the County Attorney’s Office.

May require attendance at meetings and convenings outside regular public working hours and availability to County needs outside of regular business hours.

In the event of a local emergency due to an actual or threatened disaster, County employees may be required to provide services during the emergency and for a subsequent period of assessment and recovery.

The following duty statements illustrate the essential functions of the job and do not include other non-essential or marginal duties that may be required. The County reserves the right to modify, change, or add duties or essential functions of this job at any time, with or without advance notice.

• Serves as the primary legal advisor to the Board of County Commissioners, may assist Board members individually with County interests, however, is accountable to the Board as a whole.
• Provides legal advice and support for the planning, development and implementation of the programs and projects of Chaffee County, as directed by the Board and in collaboration with the County Administrator and their staff.
• Meets and confers with the Board of County Commissioners, County Administrator, Department Heads, and other County staff concerning County legal matters and obligations.
• Advises the Board, Planning Commission and County staff in the interpretation and application of the Chaffee County land use code, advises on zoning regulations and property development permitting processes, and represents the County in legal disputes with regard to land use issues, zoning changes, variances, special use permits and…