A new town manager will start work next week, following a unanimous vote to hire him by the Town Council Tuesday night.
Charles A. Montoya, most recently director of finance for the town of Castle Rock, Colo., will begin work Monday.
“I’m pretty excited and I look forward to it,” he told the council.
In an interview with the Florence Reminder, Montoya said he was with Castle Rock, a town of 50,000 people, for 4 and 1/2 years. Prior to that he was chief financial officer for Centennial, Colo., a newly incorporated city of 100,000.
Montoya, 43, said he was drawn to the job in Florence for the climate, but especially the comfort and security of a small community. “I love small towns.” He is married and the father of six children. His contract provides an annual base salary of $113,000 plus $325 per month vehicle allowance.
Montoya said he has also worked as chief financial officer for Jefferson County, Colo., and before that worked for a private company, National Mentor Inc., in New Mexico. He also worked seven years for the governor’s office and other state agencies in New Mexico.
As director of finance for the town of Castle Rock, he managed and supervised all financial, accounting, payroll, budgeting, and analysis of organization expenditures and revenues. He also assisted in the analysis and management of economic development, long-term water planning, fire management and planning/development, according to his resume.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in management economics with a minor in math from New Mexico State University, and a master’s degree in public administration from University of New Mexico. He served approximately 10 years in the U.S. Navy Reserve, retiring with the rank of lieutenant.
