Long before marijuana was legalized in the state of Colorado, La Plata County assessor Craig Larson went to appraise a house north of Durango, only to find the decks of the house loaded with marijuana plants.
Adding to the mystery, the residence was a second home near Purgatory Resort, and its owners were from out of state and were likely unaware their house had become an illegal marijuana growing facility.
Turning from assessor to detective, Larson was on the case.
“You could smell (the marijuana) coming from the neighbor’s house,” Larson said. “So I went over there and found out they were using the neighbor’s house to grow weed, and we, of course, had to let the sheriff know.”
It’s days like this on the job, along with all the other twists and turns – number-crunching and endless stream of dense state tax laws – that Larson will miss when he retires, ending a more-than-three-decade run as the county’s assessor.
“I am going to miss it,” Larson said. “But I feel like it’s time.”
Recently, Larson announced he would not run for assessor again, an elected position. When his term is up at the end of the year, he will have served 32 years in the position.
“I’ve seen this place change a lot in that time,” Larson said. “We went from a fairly small, sleepy county and really took off.”
Some numbers to back that up: When Larson was elected in 1986, the median house price in La Plata County was $41,170. Today, he said that number is closer to $415,000.
And, the number of parcels the county assessor’s office works with has increased nearly 65 percent, from about 22,000 to 37,000, Larson said.
“Back then, it was just a different spot,” he said. “I’ve seen all that growth.”
Larson, 68, grew up in Denver and moved to Durango to attend Fort Lewis College. He graduated in 1980 with a degree in geology.
After college, he took a job in the oil and gas industry in Farmington. But when oil prices crashed in the early 1980s, his company gave him two options to keep his job: move to Rock Springs, Wyoming, or Williston, North Dakota.
It was a no-brainer: Larson and his wife, Jan, whom he met at Fort Lewis College, turned down both and moved back to Durango.
“We like it here,” he said. “We like it a lot.”
Larson took a job as an appraiser with La Plata County in 1983 and ran for assessor in 1986. Since that time, he has had three people contest him in an election, and obviously, is undefeated.
Larson is credited with many major advances in his career. In the 1990s, he masterfully negotiated a tax compact with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe for oil and gas revenues, which resulted in about $1 million to the county every year.
And, he was influential in instituting a GIS system in the county, which is considered one of the best in the state, he said. He has also seen all the ups and downs in the oil and gas industry over the years. He was awarded state assessor of the year in 2014.
“Craig has dedicated 31 years to serving La Plata County citizens with integrity, and on behalf of a grateful community, we wish him and his family all the best in his retirement,” said County Manager Joanne Spina.
Larson said he’s going to embark on all the stables of retirement: travel with his wife, skiing more and spending time with his grandkids.
Carrie Woodson, who worked more than 21 years with Larson, announced she would run for the assessor’s seat. As of Sunday, no one has registered to challenge her.
“One of the most important things about Craig is he always tries to do the right thing,” Woodson said. “And he’s very conscientious about his job.”
Woodson said the job of assessor is often misunderstood. Much of it involves educating the public so residents can understand where their taxes come from and make sure their assessed values are correct.
“It’s really an important job and affects people’s daily bottom line,” she said.
Larson said he and Jan will continue to live in Durango. But soon, the days will be gone of unexpected, sometimes life-threatening work as the county’s assessor.
Like the one day a resident brought a gun to the county’s office when he disagreed with his property’s assessed value.
“There’s never been a dull moment,” Larson said.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
