Leaders in Monument say they’re mulling a move that would give it municipal home rule in a bid to give residents more say in how their town government is run.

The status change gives home rule cities and towns more authority to set regulations and more control over day-to-day operations, Town Attorney Andrew Richey said during a town meeting in April. Without home rule status, towns like Monument fall under rules set by the Colorado General Assembly and can’t set ordinances that conflict with state laws, according to the 2018 Colorado Local Government Handbook.

“We’re in a growing area, even outside our town limits. We might as well have our own say inside our town limits,” Monument Mayor Don Wilson explained.

Monument officials have already conducted a poll of residents and could move closer to a ballot measure that’s the first step toward putting the town on the same footing as bigger cities including Colorado Springs, which has long had home rule.

There’s a long history of Colorado cities seeking more control.

“People often say the best government is the government closest to the people. When you have the ability to shape what your local government looks like, that’s powerful,” Colorado Municipal League Executive Director Kevin Bommer said.

Of Colorado’s 272 incorporated municipalities, 103 of them are home rule governments, the Colorado Municipal League said — but they account for roughly 93% of Coloradans. Several towns and cities near Monument are also home rule governments, Richey said, including Manitou Springs, Fountain, Larkspur, Castle Pines and Castle Rock.

If voters approved the switch, the biggest changes would be on community development and the town’s overall financial well-being, Richey said.

Under home rule the town would have more flexibility with its land use standards, zoning and economic incentives for incoming businesses, Wilson said. There are also more opportunities for revenue because the town could, with voter approval, adopt taxes on visitors and tourism, such as lodging tax and some user fees it cannot enforce under statutory rule.

The change would likely not immediately impact daily life in the town but would enhance resident input, long-term quality of life through better planning and interest and involvement in local government, Richey said.

“If it’s done correctly, it can be a great asset to the community,” Wilson said of the switch. “This is a good way to get to this decision and ask the community, ‘What do you want?’ For me, it’s citizen-driven, so I have no qualms one way or the other.”

The Tribune’s Benn Farrell contributed to this report.