More than 60 residents heard from four Louisville city manager job finalists about their thoughts for the local business community and economic revitalization at an event Wednesday.

Residents could speak to the candidates one-on-one at the event, and many residents said they want a city manager who actively listens to them, as they said they are the ones who love the community and can provide valuable information on how to address issues.

The four candidates, Jay Harrington, Diana Langley, Jason Rogers and Sara Ott, shared their visions for Louisville at the event. The four are currently doing similar jobs elsewhere — Harrington is the county manager in Routt County; Langley is the city manager in Yuba City, Calif.; Ott is the city manager in Aspen; and Rogers is the city manager in Commerce City. Harrington said there are not many towns left in Colorado that have a Main Street that is not the state highway. Those that do — including Louisville — can shut down the main drag to hold community events.

“(Louisville) is a pretty unique community and opportunity,” Harrington said.

Harrington said balancing growth while helping maintain small-town charm is always a challenge in a place like Louisville, but he said wants to work to create that balance, if he gets the job.

Langley said it is Louisville’s sophistication and small-town charm that drew her toward wanting to serve the community. She said several residents have mentioned that they want the city to improve its economic development activities. To address that, Langley said she wants to help develop a new program to help fill vacant storefronts. She said the city already has programs to aid new and existing businesses as well.In a Louisville resident survey, residents highlighted that they want businesses within the city that meet their needs, Langley said. She said she would want to ensure that could be made possible.

Rogers said Louisville truly has a sense of community that he does not see often.

He said it seems that neighbors care about each other, and he sees that some families have been in Louisville for generations.

“What can the city do to help support the continued evolution of the generations to come?” Rogers asked, rhetorically.

Rogers also pointed to wanting to help the city leverage opportunities for economic vitality. He said the city needs to revitalize the McCaslin Boulevard corridor to bring in more businesses and to ensure that the business community thrives.

Ott said that while she does not have all the answers toward a solution, the city’s tax base needs to be looked at in regards to the city’s long-term planning. She said there is a large reliance on taxes from online sales, and she would want to diversify that sales base.

“How do you get ahead, so that the property tax questions don’t necessarily have to come to the local residents?” Ott asked.

Hiring a new city manager is one of the most important decisions the council gets to make, Councilmember Dietrich Hoefner said at the event.

The council will meet Monday to select one candidate for the job and to negotiate a contract. The city manager’s start date also is expected to be decided at the Monday meeting.

The advertised salary range for the job is between $232,459.22 to $330,186.98, according to Louisville Communications Manager Grace Johnson. It appears that the salary is similar to that of city managers in neighboring Lafayette, where the city manager make $210,000, according to public information on a government website; and Erie, where the city manager also made 211,036 when retirement benefits are included as of 2020, according to public information on a government website.

Former City Manager Jeff Durbin was placed under administrative leave in June 2024 after a council executive session, a confidential meeting. The topic for the session, stated in the agenda, was to discuss personnel matters involving an employee appointed by the council.

In July 2024, Durbin offered to resign from his role, and the council accepted the resignation. No formal reason for his resignation has been provided from the city. The council appointed Samma Fox, the former deputy city manager, as interim city manager after Durbin’s resignation.