Brian Caserta stepping down as Pueblo West district manager, staying on as fire chief
Pueblo West Metropolitan District Chief Administrator Brian Caserta is stepping down as district manager but will stay on as fire chief for the booming district of 33,000 residents.
Caserta notified the district’s board of directors Monday that wearing two hats is too much for him. He has served as both district manager and fire chief since May 2021.
"My passion for trying to do what was right for the community and be able to fix some wrongs and put the community on the right track required a tremendous amount of work for both jobs," Caserta told the Chieftain. "I realized the best way to fix it is to help the community get a district manager who can give 100% of their time to do it."
It is not goodbye for Caserta. He has opted to stay on as fire chief, a role he has held since 2001.
“Serving as the district manager overseeing 140 employees while being the top fire official has unintentionally resulted in both not being given the attention they deserve,” Caserta said, pointing out several highly intense projects in the district became too much to juggle. “At the same time, the fire department, its capital projects, administrative direction and staff deserve the full attention of a fire chief,” he said.
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Caserta has been instrumental in helping the district navigate its fire safety issues. He has worked to expand fire services to meet the needs of the growing community.
When the state legislature paved the way for a metro district to collect a sales tax for its fire departments in 2019, he led the effort to pass a 1% sales tax for fire safety in 2020. Construction on a $4.5 million Fire Station 2 should start later this year, plus renovations are planned on Fire Station 1, so Caserta will have plenty to keep him busy.
“On behalf of the board of directors, I want to thank Brian for serving the district in this dual role,” said Kim Swearingen, board president. “He has served during perhaps the most consequential time in Pueblo West’s history and he has made considerable personal sacrifice to serve the district and the community well during his tenure as chief administrator.”
A hiring committee has been established to search for a new district manager, a position that has had a high turnover rate in the past 15 years. In that time, the average district manager tenure has been approximately three years, said Anthony Sandstrom, district public information officer.
"I love this community," Caserta said. "Maybe someone who has lived here 20 years and has the best intentions can take over."
“Our district would benefit from a manager who is capable of providing long-term leadership,” said Doug Proal, board vice president. “We hope our next district manager is somebody who can develop a deep passion for our community.”
Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via Twitter at twitter.com/tracywumps.
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This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo West searching for district manager after Caserta steps down
