Pagosa Springs Town Manager David Harris has been named one of Gov Business Review’s Top 10 Town Managers of 2026, recognizing his leadership and approach to navigating the complex challenges facing local government.
The September 2026 issue features an article by Mr. Harris titled “Managing Infrastructure Constraints Through Structured Planning and Public Alignment.” In the article, he highlights his approach to long-term planning, collaboration, transparency, and balancing community priorities with the realities of infrastructure, funding, and municipal operations.
From Mr. Harris’ article:
What Local Government Actually Asks of You
Public service at the local level is immediate. It shows up in someone’s yard when the sewer backs up, in a road that floods, in a budget that either holds or doesn’t. That proximity is what makes the work serious and it is what makes trust so difficult to earn and so easy to lose.
The past year tested most of what I believe about this role. The sewer force main and collection systems required significant long-term investment and there was no clear revenue path to support them. The October flood made conditions harder. What both events reinforced was something I had already come to believe: the only way through a complex public problem is through educating the public.
About a year ago, we went to the community and explained what was happening. We did not soften the problem or delay the conversation. We described the structural issues affecting the collection system and the treatment of sewer effluent and we were direct about what it would take to fix them. A group of citizens responded by promoting a ballot initiative. That effort resulted in the approval of a one-cent sales tax, which we estimate will generate between $60 and $80 million over the next 25 to 30 years. That outcome did not come from a communications strategy. It came from honesty and from a community ready to act when given the facts.
The article emphasizes that successful local government depends on collaboration across the organization and a shared understanding of how individual departments and projects contribute to the community as a whole.
Read the full feature in the September 2026 edition of Gov Business Review.