Gov.-elect Bill Ritter on Wednesday said his transition team has received more than 1,100 applications for jobs in his administration.
Ritter, who takes office in January, is overseeing a fast- moving enterprise to take the reins of state government in about five weeks.
That means hiring dozens of high-ranking officials who will advise him on topics as varied as education, health care, transportation and energy.
The 18 transition committees, including about 310 volunteers, are expected to meet at least four times before making recommendations to Ritter on Dec. 15.
“Gov. Bill Owens and his team could not have been better to us in transition,” Ritter said. “They’ve all prepared transition memos. Our committees are utilizing those.”
In addition, department directors from the Owens administration have been invited to speak to the transition teams.
“I saw Tom Norton (director of the Colorado Department of Transportation) leaving here earlier today,” Ritter said.
Ritter, who has called for full- scale study groups on transportation funding, expanding health care access and higher education, said he would not push ahead on such efforts until he names an administration.
He said his goal is to have a team ready when he takes office Jan. 9, but he added that he wants a thorough review of the candidates.
“I’d rather be right about my appointments than quick,” he said.
Ritter’s transition team is working on the 23rd floor of the Tabor Center in space adjacent to the Rothgerber Johnson & Lyons law firm. Senior partner James Lyons is the executive director of Ritter’s transition.
Ritter isn’t settling in. His office walls are bare. He has a laptop on his desk. “Bill Ritter for Governor” campaign signs – shorn of the “for Governor” piece – are taped to the windows of the office lobby.
As for inauguration festivities, Ritter said he and his family will buy their own tickets to events so that they comply with Amendment 41’s limits on gifts to state officials.
Ritter is scheduled to be sworn in as Colorado’s 41st governor Jan. 9. A separate team of party planners is working on the events.
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-954-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
