opposed measure

BY ELLIS ARNOLD AND HALEY LENA EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

In Douglas County, three people make the decisions that a ect roughly 370,000 residents. Often, those choices come from the majority of two commissioners.

Now, a bill in the state legislature could change that, expanding the number of members on a county’s board of elected leaders to ve. e bill would a ect several Front Range counties with large enough populations, including Douglas County, where the board has become known for its bitter con icts.

“To me, it is a simple good governance issue, but there is pretty much united bipartisan opposition from county commissioners who would be impacted,” said state Rep. Bob Marshall, a Highlands Ranch Democrat and one of the bill’s top supporters. Commissioners serve as a county’s elected leaders, somewhat similar to city councils. ey make policy decisions that largely a ect parts of the county that are “unincorporated” — areas that sit outside of municipalities.

In Douglas County, that includes Highlands Ranch and many other areas, such as Franktown and Roxborough.

e idea to add two more commissioners in Douglas County came up in discussion in a county meeting in August. Commissioner Abe Laydon remains opposed.

“ e last thing counties need are more politicians,” Laydon said in a statement about the state legislature’s bill. “Whether you have three or 30