While he listed accomplishments of protecting open space and opening new facilities, Corrigan said fulfilling the county’s core mission to its citizens tops his list.
Routt County Commissioner Tim Corrigan started his path to the county’s governing board by getting involved in the Oak Creek Hockey Association about 35 years ago.
There was a league at the time called the Rocky Mountain Youth Hockey League and they had a meeting in Heeney, Colorado, an unincorporated town near Green Mountain Reservoir in Summit County. Corrigan recalls being about 10 minutes late to the meeting.
“When I walked into the room, everyone stood up an applauded, ‘Welcome Mr. President,’” Corrigan said. “I had been elected president of the league. It taught me a lesson, don’t ever be late to a meeting.”
After working to help the South Routt School District pass a bond measure, someone suggested Corrigan run for the district’s School Board. After the measure passed, someone suggested Corrigan run for a vacant seat on the school board. Corrigan recalls thinking, “Why not?”
After nearly a decade on the South Routt School Board, Corrigan heard that Routt County Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak decided she would not seek reelection. At home that night, Corrigan said he was pondering who would step up and run to replace her. His wife asked him, “Why not you?”
Corrigan was elected Routt County Commissioner in November of 2012, being sworn in at the start of 2013. His three terms on the board will come to an end on Tuesday, as the newest Routt County Commissioner Angelica Salinas will be sworn in.
As his time as Commissioner ends, Corrigan said he has thought a little bit — “not a lot” — about his accomplishments. He mentioned accomplishments like protecting Routt County’s open space with the Purchase for Development Rights program, opening the Combined Law Enforcement Facility in 2019 and opening of Routt County’s Public Health and Human Services building in 2023, Corrigan said he is proud that he did his job managing the organization.
“When I came into the office, I didn’t have any axes to grind, I didn’t have any particular things that I thought needed to be done,” Corrigan said. “I just wanted to do a good job managing the organization and I do think I did accomplish that.”
Routt County hosted a toast — at times a gentle roast — of Corrigan on Monday to pay tribute to his career as Commissioner.
“He is always going to work with you, he is always willing to meet you half way,” said Commissioner Tim Redmond, who will be sworn in for a second term on Tuesday. “But he also knows who he is, where he stands and what he believes in. … We haven’t always gotten along or agreed, but we have always been collegial, you have always been respectful and we will always come together at the end.”
“I look for honesty, I look for integrity, I look for core values,” said retiring Steamboat Springs City Manager Gary Suiter. “I don’t care if their core values are 180 degrees different from mine, I expect them to vote consistently for those core values. Commissioner Corrigan has done that consistently.”
“Tim and I worked on the Combined Law Enforcement Facility and I have to say, we started probably from a position where Tim was like, ‘Why are we doing this and what’s it going to cost?” said former Steamboat Springs City Council member Kathi Meyer. “Tim threw himself into the project to the point where when it came to drywall and ceiling tile, I knew who to go to. … To this day, not only do we have a great facility for our city and our county, but we have a 911 center that is without a doubt state of the art.”
“He is just salt of the earth, he gets along with everybody regardless of the F-bombs. In fact, that’s part of who he is,” said former Routt County Commissioner Stephen Ivancie. “You were great to work with in my short period of time here with Doug (Monger). I learned a lot from you. I was a better commissioner because of you and I think this county and this state will show its appreciation for you and will show the mark you made, not only on Routt County but on Colorado, for a long, long time.”
As Corrigan leaves the Commissioner’s Office, he said he is partially relieved that he will not have to make the decision about Stagecoach Mountain Ranch, a private ski development catering to ultra-wealthy second homeowners.
“On the other hand, there is a part of me that would have relished the argument and wouldn’t have minded seeing that through with my perspective, especially being a long-time resident of South Routt and understanding the impacts of that development on the community,” Corrigan said.
As for issues facing the county, Corrigan said things are coming to a head with Colorado’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights. Routt County is one of the few counties in Colorado that are still subject to the law, which limits the county’s budget to a measure of growth plus inflation. The problem is, Corrigan said, that revenue in the budget is not keeping pace with increasing expenses.
Corrigan said he believes the solution to this problem is asking voters to de-Bruce, which would allow the county to retain more of the property taxes it collects.
“We’re increasing our revenues by about 5% per year and our costs are going up about 9% per year,” Corrigan said. “And that doesn’t even speak to the challenges that we are going to have attracting and retaining employees, given the cost of housing in this community.”
As for what he will do next, Corrigan said he doesn’t plan on leaving Routt County — at least not for good.
“I still have all my tools,” Corrigan said, recalling his days before being elected Commissioner as a contractor. “Between 25 years of deferred maintenance at the ranch and all four of my kids have houses that need work, I’m going to be an itinerant construction worker.”