Carr Appointed County Counsel

Sponsored by: Board of County Commissioners Department

The Washington County Board of Commissioners appointed Tom Carr today to lead the Office of County Counsel beginning June 28, 2021.

The appointment comes after a national search conducted by Heather Gantz of the Novak Consulting Group resulted in 11 candidates. The board made their appointment after three finalists were interviewed.

“Our board was impressed by Tom’s wealth of experience and knowledge, not only as an attorney but also as a manager of legal offices at the local government level. We are thrilled that Tom has decided join our Washington County organization,” said Washington County Board of Commissioners Chair Kathryn Harrington. 

“I am excited to be joining the terrific team at Washington County. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute to a great team in a wonderful community,” said Carr.

Carr is currently serving as the city attorney for the City of Boulder, Colorado, a position he has held since 2010. In that role, Carr has led a team of attorneys and support staff in providing legal advice to the city council and city manager. During his tenure, the office supported the city through numerous initiatives and challenges including a catastrophic 2013 flooding event that affected 17 counties and forced thousands of Coloradans to evacuate. 

Prior to his service with the City of Boulder, Carr played a similar role for the City of Seattle, Washington, where he was the elected city attorney for eight years. In addition to leading the city government’s top legal office, Carr helped Seattle recover from the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, provided legal guidance on the transition of the Sonics, the city’s National Basketball Association team, to Oklahoma City and helped create Washington State’s first Community Court, allowing houseless individuals within the criminal justice system to get better access to services.   

Carr also served as an assistant U.S. attorney in New York City for nearly four years and has over a decade of experience in private law firms in New York, Washington, D.C., and Seattle. 

Carr earn his bachelor’s degree from Saint John’s University and his law degree from New York Law School, both in New York City.  

The Office of County Counsel provides legal advice to the Washington County government and affiliated agencies. The office represents the Board of County Commissioners, County Administrative Office, the Sheriff’s Office, Housing Authority, Fair Board, Enhanced Sheriff’s Patrol District, Urban Road Maintenance District, Service District for Lighting, Cooperative Library Services and all county employees. The office is supported by an annual budget of $3 million and is staffed by 15 full-time-equivalent positions.