Viewpoint: House Bill 24-1177 Would Give Voters More Autonomy

On page 10 of the Greenhorn Valley View last week we reported on House Bill 24-1177, which would increase the number of County Commissioners in Pueblo County from the current three to five.

Currently, in a county with a population of 70,000 or more, the board of county commissioners (board) may consist of three commissioners from three districts, with one commissioner elected from each district by VOTERS OF THE WHOLE COUNTY. That is the status quo in Pueblo County.

Another option, available currently, is a board that may consist of five commissioners with the county divided into either three of five districts, and the commissioners may be elected pursuant to one of 10 alternative methods.

The current proposed bill eliminates the discretionary system and, instead, requires that all counties with a population of 70,000 or more have five commissioners, with at least three commissioners elected only by voters RESIDENT in the district from which each commissioner runs for the election.

The bill allows the counties to choose between two election alternatives: • three commissioners resident in three districts elected by voter’s resident in those districts and two commissioners elected at large; or • five commissioners resident in five districts elected only by voter’s resident in those districts.

The bill, which was introduced on February 1, is currently listed as “under consideration” but it is unclear what will happen with it next based on printed information about the bill.

Commissioners Griego and Swearingen indicated opposition to the bill and pointed out the increased expense. Commissioner Esgar, who was not elected by anyone, but appointed, indicated she did not have enough information to make an informed decision.

The amount of money paid the Commissioners is certainly exorbitant at $150,991/year. Add to that the administrators’ salaries and all the amenities and physical space and it is significant to the taxpayers. I appreciate Griego’s focus on that.

Swearingen mentioned the cost but also looked at it as a power grab by Denver. I may be missing how that is occurring. I understand a county’s desire for self-rule and independence from rules and regulations. This is not, however, a new regulation.

It is a changing regulation and one that seems, at least as near as I can tell, to give the voters more autonomy even if it sets additional requirements for the commissioners.

Since arriving in Pueblo County, I have not understood how the entire county gets to vote on every commissioner.

The concept of “election by the people, and for the people” seemed distant, and unfair, when we actually did not have a county commissioner who was representing the Colorado City-Rye area, but the entire county.

For those concerned about the cost, costs can be partially mitigated by adjusting the commissioner’s salaries, sharing administrators and putting caps on the amenities. Perhaps the existing commissioners, instead of making the legislature aware of their concerns, could lobby for the continuance of the threecommissioner system but lobby for vote ONLY by the members of the district they represent.

That being said, especially in recent years, I have been happy .with the commissioners Garrison Ortiz, who is no longer a commissioner, and Griego have seemed to go out of there way to help the Colorado City Metro District, and Colorado City and .Rye in a number of ways Everything I have stated is factual and I certainly have no ax to grind with the county commissioners and how they have performed.

My concern is much larger than the current commissioners.

The more local an election is the more it will represent the actual constituents. The county has a budget of $434 million dollars.

Spending a part of that to make the County Commission more representative of the voters in each district seems like an idea that should be given serious thought.