Montrose County’s top administrative position remains vacant after interim county manager Leslie Quon resigned Monday, prompting two days of public discussion among commissioners and a decision not to proceed with a previously announced finalist for the permanent role.

The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to leave the position unfilled for now, with the three commissioners temporarily taking on the duties of county manager. The decision came after a series of work sessions and meetings filled with contentious discussion.

Quon, who has served as the county’s longtime human resources director, had stepped into the interim role in April following the resignation of Frank Rodriguez. At the time, commissioners described her appointment as a short-term solution while the search for a permanent manager moved forward. Quon will resume her duties as HR director.

Quon’s resignation prompts discussion

During a July 7 work session, Commissioner Scott Mijares announced that Quon had submitted her resignation earlier that morning.

“We just got this this morning, so we got caught by surprise,” Mijares said. “Leslie, I have to say, I know you were overworked. I know it was very difficult for you in many ways, and I hope that the resignation will be accepted by our board.”

Commissioner Sue Hansen responded by noting that Quon may not have sought the interim position to begin with and said the responsibility placed on her had been significant.

“I think she didn’t want to do it in the first place. We somewhat pressured her into doing that,” Hansen said. “She nobly took on the responsibility, and I think she’s been unduly pressured and, in some cases, harassed.”

Mijares asked Hansen what she meant by “harassed.” Hansen replied: “Some of the meetings that we had been in—our operations meeting—I felt like you yelled at Leslie. You don’t take her advice on county manager hiring and policy advisement. I think you made it very difficult, and it’s a problem.”

Commissioner Sean Pond acknowledged there had been challenges but declined to describe the dynamic as harassment.

“There’s been some heated discussions. I won’t say anybody yelled at anybody, but there were definitely some heated discussions,” he said. “Leslie, respect. I think you did a fantastic job… I’m actually glad you’re going to go back to your HR job.”

Mijares concluded the meeting by thanking Quon for her work and offering an apology.

“That might have been unfair to you and I apologize for that,” he said, referring to her decision to take on the interim role. “I apologize for not taking your advice on the hiring of a particular county manager.”

County manager finalist not moving forward

On Monday, following the work session, the commissioners met in executive session to discuss the next steps in the hiring process.

In June, the county had publicly named Bradley Mitchell as its finalist for the county manager position in a press release. However, behind the scenes, Hansen and Pond indicated they would not support moving forward with his appointment.

During open session that followed, Mijares read a from Mitchell, for 14 straight minutes, into the public record and said he planned to share the letter with media outlets.

“For what purpose?” Hansen asked.

“To inform them on what to decide,” Mijares responded. “You want transparency? I’m giving you transparency.”

Hansen expressed concern about the timing and nature of Mijares’ remarks. “So we had two board members that voted against him, but now you read his résumé and his letter into the record, and now you’re going to advocate for him? I find that highly—” she said, before being cut off mid-sentence.

“All I’m saying is we missed a tremendous opportunity,” Mijares said. “I don’t know what you had against him. His track record and experience speaks for itself. If you want to give us an explanation why you didn’t vote for him as a county commissioner, I’m glad to hear it.”

“I think it’s a personal issue,” Hansen said. “I’m not interested in doing that.”

Board to take on duties jointly

In a special meeting Tuesday afternoon, the board unanimously agreed not to appoint a new interim county manager at this time. Instead, the commissioners will assume the duties of the position themselves.

No formal timeline was announced for restarting the hiring process.

According to Hansen, the county currently has more than 20 vacant staff positions, adding to the administrative strain. Quon is expected to continue in her role as HR director.

The recent turnover follows a period of change within county leadership. In April, former county manager Frank Rodriguez resigned following a request from Mijares and Pond. Hansen voted against accepting his resignation. Quon was named interim county manager shortly thereafter.