BOULDER–Two Colorado counties–with historically different political makeups– have been instructed by voters to expand their respective boards of county commissioners. But despite the wins at the ballot box, proponents in neither county look to be getting the exact outcome of the expansion they had hoped for, with one possible headed for a courtroom showdown.
Voters in Douglas and Boulder counties approved measures on Nov. 3 to increase the number of commissioners on their current boards from three to five.
In Boulder county, it was clear voters wanted the change, with 67 percent voting in favor of the expansion. But how those new commissioners will be elected wasn’t quite as black and white. Forty-eight percent said they wanted to elect all five through voters in the districts they would represent, while 52 percent decided three should be elected by districts and two as at-large by all county voters.
The group backing the measure, Big Tent Boulder County, said it was time to expand the number of commissioners to bring more diversity to the board.
“Right now, just three at-large County Commissioners make decisions for more than 333,000 residents across every city, town, and rural area,” their website said. “It’s time for a structure that ensures every community has a stronger, more local voice. Boulder County has used a three-commissioner, at-large election model since the county was formed in 1861! Our goal is to expand the number of commissioners to ensure fairer, more balanced representation. This isn’t just about government structure — it’s about building a democracy that evolves with our community.”
Big Tent leader and former City Councilman Bob Yates, who favored five independent districts, had hoped it would bring balance to a board that is historically very liberal, giving a more conservative voice to those who live in the more rural part of the county. However, the three district/two at-large model is not expected to see that to fruition.
Conflict in DougCo
An hour southeast of Boulder, the “same but opposite” reasoning took place in Douglas County to expand its county commission, after proponents hoping to get more moderate voices on the historically conservative board were successful in their petition drive.
However, the issue appears headed to court after the current county commissioners decided to add an additional question to the ballot that confuses the situation.
The first two questions were the same as Boulder’s. Should the commission be expanded from three to five? That passed 52-48 percent. The second question – whether they should be elected all by district or three by district and two at large – overwhelmingly saw voters say all by districts (58 percent).
The third question, placed on the ballot by the commissioners, asked if all five commissioners should continue to be elected by all Douglas County voters? In other words, all as at-large. That question passed by a 73% landslide.
Angela Thomas, one of the proponents of expanding the commission to five, told 9News that question (1A) was placed on the ballot only to confuse voters.
“We don’t know whether 1A is in comparison to 200 or if 1A is in comparison to 201,” she said. “That is completely unknown, and that is the biggest issue we have right now. We do not know how this plays out, and so we anticipate that we will be litigating this and letting a judge decide.”
Commissioner George Teal also told 9News that he believes 1A will trump 201 in court, leading to an at-large election process.
“Our legal analysis says yes,” he said. “Many county residents asked my colleagues and I to place it on the ballot to ensure there was the choice to continue to elect the Board of County Commissioners in at-large elections.”
Complete Colorado will continue to follow this story.
