Boulder County Commissioners Oppose Expanding Commission to Five Seats

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A group of current and former Boulder County commissioners have come out against a proposal to expand the county commission from three seats to five. They argue that increasing the size of government won't yield better results, but will add significant costs to the county budget. The commissioners also say a larger commission could lead to more parochial decision-making focused on individual districts rather than the county as a whole.

Why it matters

The proposal to expand the Boulder County Commission is seen as an effort to increase accountability and representation, but the current and former commissioners argue that these goals can be achieved through other means without the added expense and potential drawbacks of a larger commission.

The details

The commissioners outline several reasons why expanding the commission is unnecessary and potentially counterproductive. They say a larger commission would not yield better policy decisions, but would make timely executive decision-making more cumbersome. They also argue that a five-commissioner model, whether elected by district or with a mix of district and at-large seats, would lead to more parochial decision-making focused on individual districts rather than the county as a whole. The commissioners contend that increasing the commission size would not inherently result in greater diversity, and that the voters of Longmont and Boulder would continue to control a majority of the seats.

• The proposal to expand the Boulder County Commission is currently in the petition gathering stage.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The proposal to expand the Boulder County Commission is currently in the petition gathering stage, and if enough signatures are collected, it would be put to a vote of county residents.