SPEARFISH, SD – In the new year, Spearfish will have a new City Administrator.
The Spearfish City Council Wednesday voted to hire Steve McFarland, effective on or after February 1, 2022.
“We are looking forward to welcoming Steve and his family to Spearfish,
” Mayor Dana Boke said. “Steve’s experience, knowledge, and commitment to public service will play essential roles in shaping the future of and providing the best for the community.
”
McFarland has a Master of Public Administration degree from Colorado University-Denver and has spent the last 15 years in public leadership positions. He has served as the finance director for the City of Lafayette, Colorado, since 2016, which is a community of approximately 30,000 residents approximately 10 miles north of Denver. The city has 225 full-time employees, with a 2021 budget of $117 million.
McFarland served as the chief financial officer for the Town of Estes Park, Colorado, from 2005 to 2016, and worked in the private sector prior.
During his tenure in the public sector, McFarland worked on leadership teams that helped create, implement, and manage community development master plans, general improvement districts, urban renewal authorities, and several economic development endeavors. He also participated in updating Lafayette’s competitive pay plan and benefit program to recruit quality staff in a competitive job market.
“We are really excited about joining the Spearfish community,
” McFarland said on behalf of his family.
The City posted the job description following former Spearfish City Administrator Michael Harmon’s resignation in July 2021. City Attorney Ashley McDonald was named Interim City Administrator and will continue to serve as such until McFarland’s start date.
“We are so excited to work with Steve and the new energy and perspective he will bring to our community,”
McDonald said.
