Noonan: Dougco a bellwether for Colorado’s political future
Paula Noonan has been writing about politics in Douglas County and Colorado for a long time. Her latest analysis might be behind a paywall for many readers, so we're sharing some excerpts here that relate to YES on 200.
Douglas County is a microcosm of the political tensions facing the nation. Its voters are increasingly unaffiliated with either political party while its county government remains firmly in one party’s hands.
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What the election may reveal is something fundamental: whether Dougco voters are comfortable with concentrated political power, nationally and locally; whether they expect elected officials to follow the rules of good governance and accountability; and whether fiscal responsibility and transparency still matter when it comes to allocating public resources.
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Stop the Power Grab led by concerned Dougco residents went after signatures to put up two ballot questions: Question 200 asks to expand the current commission board from three members to five members; Question 201 asks how the commission will represent the population — by district only or by three district members and two at-large members. The commissioners countered with Question 1A to make all five commissioners elected at large.
These initiatives, together, question whether three commissioners elected at-large should have the power to make consequential decisions affecting 400,000 people, with the population likely to grow to about 550,000 by 2050. Question 201 and 1A are especially important as they will implement different structures: elections by districts with at most two elected by all voters or five commissioners all elected at-large.
The push and pull in Douglas County over how voters want their local government organized should be instructive for the entire state. Unaffiliated voters now present considerable influence over those decisions. The Colorado legislature shapes laws related to local land development, housing, water use and governmental authority. How Dougco voters decide these questions in November should offer important insights for legislators as they consider how Colorado’s growing communities should be governed long into the future.
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