Steve Maneotis, who was born and raised in Craig and has seen the evolution of Moffat County unfold as both a resident and a business owner, is running for a seat on the Moffat County Commission.

Maneotis said his bid for the District 3 seat is not rooted in politics. Instead, he sees it as a moment where he can play a pivotal role in the future of the community he has called home his entire life.

His decision to enter the race came after personal reflection on the economic changes facing the county and how he can support it during a period of transition.

“I felt in my heart this is what I needed to do next,” Maneotis said. “You can sit on the sideline and complain about what’s going on in our community with our economy, with politics in general, or you can make a decision to jump in and try to make a difference.”

Maneotis said the idea of running for commissioner gained momentum after he began receiving calls from people asking him to consider a campaign. He did not make the decision quickly, instead taking time to consider the responsibilities of the office and determine whether he could commit fully to the jo

After college, Maneotis worked for General Motors as a distribution manager and district sales manager for Pontiac Motor Division during much of the 1980s, an experience that he said broadened his understanding of business as he worked with a range of owners and management styles before he returned home.

He returned to Craig in 1990 and took over the dealership, which he continues to operate. Since then, he said, his life has been centered in Craig through business, family and community involvement.

Over the years, Maneotis has served on the Chamber of Commerce board and as its president. He has also worked extensively with youth sports, including nearly 30 years as an assistant or head basketball coach in the Moffat County High School program. He said that work was especially meaningful because it allowed him to teach skills and watch young people grow.

He also serves on the Yampa Valley Golf Course board as president.

“In some way or another I’ve always been pretty active within the community,” he said.

Part of that reflection, he said, included the death of his wife, Teresa, about a year and a half ago following a battle with cancer. With his children grown, Maneotis said he came to view public service as a meaningful next step.

His decision was also driven by Moffat County’s growing uncertainty tied to the loss of energy sector jobs.

“We’re losing industry with coal and Tri-State leaving,” Maneotis said. “We’re losing a lot of very good-paying jobs and putting a lot of people in a bad position of what to do next.”

While Maneotis repeatedly said he does not like to frame the race in terms of party politics, he acknowledged the office operates in a political environment. Still, he said he is more interested in what he described as common-sense leadership than in partisan divisions.

“When I say politics, I don’t get into the fact that someone’s a Democrat and someone’s a Republican,” he said. “I’m tired of hearing party line politics. I think you need people with good common sense and a clear vision of what the people in our community are looking for and how you can best represent that.”

Asked how he sees the future of Moffat County, Maneotis said he believes the community is not dying, but changing.

“Our community isn’t dying, it’s transforming,” he said. “That’s how I choose to look at it. We can either be excited about it or try to run and put our head in the sand and hide from it.”

He said conversations with residents have touched on a wide range of issues, including nuclear energy, oil and gas, agriculture, water, wildlife management and renewable energy. In his view, the challenge is identifying the county’s “pockets of gold” and building around them while keeping city and county leaders moving in the same direction.

“The one key component to me is how do we ensure that the city and the county leaders stay connected with a vision that works for both and we’re pushing in the same direction for the best of the city and the county,” he said.

Maneotis said one of the immediate priorities for county leadership is responding to the departure of Tri-State and the economic pressure that follows. He described the issue as one of the first areas he would focus on if elected.

“The clock is ticking on Tri-State,” he said.

He said he wants to explore opportunities tied to water rights, energy development, manufacturing, research campuses and data processing centers while also protecting the county’s long-standing agricultural base. He pointed to infrastructure and housing as key parts of any broader strategy to attract employers and families.

“With good infrastructure comes good housing, comes good people, comes an increase in our tax base,” Maneotis said. “The big piece right now is stabilizing our tax base in my opinion.”

He also said county officials must pay attention to rural concerns beyond Craig, including road maintenance and local needs in places like Dinosaur and Maybell.

Maneotis said he has already begun preparing by attending every county commissioners meeting since announcing his candidacy and reviewing county budget materials to better understand department spending, compensation concerns and long-term fiscal pressures.

“Where is that going? Where’s the waste? Where’s the need?” he said of his examination of county operations.

If elected, Maneotis said he would keep what he described as an open-door approach, encouraging residents to call, stop by and share concerns directly. He said listening will be central to the job, even when disagreement exists.

“You’ve got to have an open-door policy,” he said. “I will be in the county commissioner’s office a lot of hours.”

He also described himself as direct and decisive, saying he is not interested in “fence riding” on major issues.

“I’ll listen, but if there’s a healthy conversation of what I believe and you believe and it varies, I want to have a healthy, respectful conversation,” he said.

At the center of his campaign, he said, is a concern for the generations that will follow.

“I feel like in the four years that I will serve as county commissioner, there are a lot of major decisions that will be made that are critical to the long-term success of our children and our grandchildren,” Maneotis said.

At 64, he said he wants today’s decisions to help ensure that younger families and children see a future for themselves in Moffat County.

“I want the years for my little 2-year-old granddaughter to be years that she’s excited about where she lives,” he said. “And when she grows up, she wants to come here and raise a family.”