Retiring Douglas County administrator reflects on his 26 years

For more than a quarter of a century, Douglas County Administrator Craig Weinaug has looked out on South Park from his second-floor office in the southwest corner of the Douglas County Courthouse.

He has not tired of the view from his desk, nor has he lost his passion for the work he does at it.

“I have loved this job,” he said. “I won’t say I’ve loved every minute of it, but I have loved this job for a very long time, and I love this community and county government.”

Despite his love for the work, Weinaug said it’s time for him to hand the reins of county government to a younger generation. He will retire Friday from the job he accepted in 1992. An avid bicyclist, he looks forward to riding more and spending more time with his four grandchildren, for whom he has already picked out bikes.

There’s also a professional factor, Weinaug said. Public administrators have expiration dates, he said. It’s a point when citizens and community leaders don’t turn to them for advice or welcome phone calls. He reached that point on May 15 when county voters rejected Proposition 1, which would have funded a $44 million expansion of the county jail, as well as an $11 million behavioral health campus.