Basalt’s new town manager to focus on citizen engagement

The town of Basalt selected Gloria Kaasch-Buerger as its next town manager, former town administrator for the town of Silverton, Colorado, who will prioritize a relationship with local leaders, staff, and residents.

Kaasch-Buerger’s appointment follows the departure of former Basalt Town Manager Ryan Murphy in June. 

Basalt Town Council voted unanimously to appoint Kaasch-Buerger to the position after a national search that drew more than 60 qualified applicants. Three of the four finalists for the position were Roaring Fork Valley residents. 

She is aiming to lean on relationships to address Basalt’s priorities and future opportunities.

“I’m looking forward to bringing a lot of the citizen engagement tools that I have harnessed here in Silverton to Basalt,” she told The Aspen Times in an interview. “There always is a need for more citizen engagement.”

She served as Silverton’s town administrator for four years prior to accepting the town manager position at Basalt. 

“Gloria has great experience in Silverton and has great networks,” said Basalt Mayor David Knight. “She has an ability to innovate and think outside the box in terms of municipal management, which has got great results in Silverton. We’re excited to bring that mindset and her experience and skill to Basalt.” 

On her way to becoming town administrator in Silverton, Kaasch-Buerger got her Bachelor’s degree from Fort Lewis College in English-Communications. Shortly after her undergrad, she got a Master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado. While getting her master’s, she took part in a fellowship program allowing her to work with Durango’s town manager for two years before joining the city for several years more. 

The incoming town manager said in a press release that she is “honored to step into the role of Basalt town manager and grateful to the mayor and Town Council for their trust and confidence.”

According to Basalt’s employment agreement with Kaasch-Buerger, she will receive an annual salary of $175,000 per year and a housing unit owned by the town at Stott’s Mill Road. She has the option to forgo the housing in favor of a $3,000 per month housing allowance should she choose to do so. 

As town manager, she will be responsible for the overall operation of the town and all town staff and will work to implement the policies and procedures adopted by the Town Council.

“(The town manager) is the executive of the town,” said Knight. “They run all the departments, sustain the services, oversee different portfolios that the department managers have from public works to finance to planning Parks and Recreation stuff. They ensure that everything is running right and that the community is getting the services that are intended.”

Kaasch-Bueger’s first day at Basalt will be on Nov. 17.