A great big thank you to our Sen. Ellen Roberts and Rep. Don Coram for meeting with us, listening to our concerns and sponsoring Senate Bill 84. This bill, if passed by the legislature and signed by the governor, will give the citizens of La Plata County the ability to change the way you elect La Plata County commissioners. Currently, county commissioners are voted on by all voters in the county (at-large). As a result, some commissioners do not receive a majority of the vote from the district they represent. This has resulted in some cases to unequal or under representation by county commissioners.
Senate Bill 84 would give the voters of La Plata County an opportunity to change the way they elect their commissioners (from voting at-large to district voting). To make this change, voters could ask the commissioners to place this question on the ballet for the next general election, or voters could go through the petition process and present it to the county’s clerk and recorder to be placed on the ballot. Once on the ballot, the voters can either approve it or reject it.
We have already received bipartisan support (4 to 1 vote in favor) from the Senate State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, and it has passed the second reading. Roberts states bipartisan support is being shown on the Senate floor, and now we need your help! Colorado Counties Inc. has already unanimously come out against this bill, and we expect them to come out even stronger in the House Committee.
We need your help by writing letters of support to Roberts and/or Coram at the Colorado State Capital, 200 E. Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80203 or by emailing us, Jerry Chesnut, jchesnut@centurytel.net or Davis Watson, davisw@centurytel.net. If you have any questions, we are more than happy to answer them. Also, if you are in a position to show your support by testifying at the House Committee hearing, please get in touch with us.
Davis Watson
Norwood
