Candidates for the Jefferson County Board of Commission offered competing visions, at times clashing approaches to priorities and spending, during a debate on Thursday night. 

In District 1, which covers the northern part of the county and includes Arvada and Westminster, current commissioner and former state lawmaker Tracy Kraft-Tharp is vacating the seat. Last year, she announced that she would not seek reelection.

There are four candidates vying for the position:

• Structural engineer and Unity Party candidate Eric Bodenstab, who has been involved in politics on-and-off, is running on a platform to advance “proportional representation” at the county level and hopes, if elected, to grow the commission to as many as 11 members, all “proportionally elected.”

• Republican Charlie Johnson, who has been a correctional officer, teacher, and veteran’s advocate, said his issues include the county spending beyond its means and “misdirected policies, like sanctuary county status and supporting illegal immigrants before our own legal residents, which are driving up increases in crime, inflation and high cost of living.”

• Term-limited state Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, an Arvada Democrat who chaired the State Joint Budget Committee for the 2023 session, said she wants to set aside partisan politics and collaborate across the aisle.

• Libertarian candidate Orion Schalhamer did not attend.

In District 2, which covers the middle of the county and includes Golden, Edgewater, Wheat Ridge and Lakewood, two candidates are pursuing a commission seat — incumbent Andy Kerr and Republican Challenger Natalie Menten.

Kerr’s county profile describes him as a “champion for education, renewable energy and the needs of working families in Jefferson County and across Colorado.”

Republicans tapped Menten for the job after Charlie Sturdavant withdrew his candidacy following a knee injury. Menten, an advocate of Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, is a critic of Ballot Measure 1A, which, if passed, would “de-Bruce” or allow the county to keep and spend the revenue generated from current taxes. 

Democracy, cooperation and transparency

Weighing in on challenges to democracy and increasing partisanship, Zenzinger highlighted what she described as her 100% bipartisan record and said elected officials must work harder to restore trust in government. She added that collaboration, transparency, and accessibility are key.

Menton, a former RTD board member, advocated for more accessible government meetings and transparency in county operations, calling out the county’s practice of scheduling board meetings at 9 a.m.

“Also, we used to publish the county check register online, showing us where our money was going,” Menten said. “The check register disappeared two years ago. Now, you must do a public information request for it and wait for days.”

For Johnson, democracy comes down to listening to what is important to residents — potholes, bridge repair, youth and mental behavioral health, wildfire mitigation, and flood response, according to a county survey.

Structural engineer and Unity Party candidate Eric Bodenstab said if elected, he would work to grow the commission to as many as 11 members.

Spending priorities

Among the biggest challenges facing the county is its projected 2025 budget shortfall of an estimated $30 million.

Zenzinger said among the first places she’d look to shore up the county’s coffers would be the general fund and “some sort of hiring freezes.”

Kerr agreed with Zenzinger, but pointed out that some services funded by the general fund are mandated, and others may have matching funds attached. He said commissioners have asked every department to start prioritizing.

“We have asked every department to prioritize in their department what it would look like for a 10% cut,” Kerr said. “Now, we’re absolutely not going to adopt a budget that just takes 10% across the board as many of these services are mandated. Many of the programs have a lot of the Medicare and Medicaid money that has matching (funds).”

“So it can’t be just across the board. It has to be very specific,” Kerr said, referring to cuts. 

“Government likes to say cuts when it doesn’t grow as much as it wants,” Menton said. “This is a spending problem, and it’s a prioritization problem.”

Bodenstab said metro direct reform is a viable solution, while Johnson said budget cuts are not the main issue but how the county spends its money.

Johnson argued for what he described as sensible spending on essential services, such as roads and bridges and law enforcement. He questioned funding on illegal immigration and attempts to de-fund the police.

Affordable housing

Candidates also focused on the role the county plays in “affordable” housing.

“Jefferson County has a big role in affordable housing and making sure that there’s adequate housing, and it’s a regional issue,” Kerr said. “We’ve seen reports that, to have a stable housing market moving forward, the greater Denver metro region will need to add approximately 20,000 units in the next three to three to four years.”

Kerr said the county plans to apply for a state grant to create 502 new affordable housing units and noted that, because the grant counts against the county’s revenue cap, cuts must be identified elsewhere.

“Let people keep their money and let’s keep our property tax caps,” Menten said. “That’s the first start to affordable housing.”

Bodenstab said there are too many metro districts already in place and that greater transparency and reform are needed.

He said metro district taxes can exceed the county tax’s mil levy, and the money goes straight to developers and a few people on a “paper tiger,” adding that he would be hesitant to approve any future metro districts.

Johnson said he would reduce taxes to help bring down affordability and inflation.

“Jefferson County actually doesn’t have a direct role with regard to housing,” Zenzinger said. “We don’t have a division of housing in county government; there are divisions of housing, municipal government and the state government.”

Zenzinger suggested that, while the county should take an active role, she would not suggest creating a housing division but rather work more closely with existing county partners, such as the Foothills Regional Housing Authority and take advantage of new state affordable housing programs.

Johnson wants the county to take a bigger role in ensuring metro district disclosure for homebuyers.

Zenzinger, who sponsored Senate Bill 23-110, which deals with metro districts, noted that in 2023, 85% of new buildings, dwellings, and houses were built in a metro district.

“So, they’re not going away,” she said. “And 85% of all new building is occurring in a metro district. So, we have to do something to stay on top of it, to make sure that we’re holding these metro districts accountable. And that’s exactly what I did.”

Kerr agreed that transparency is a key issue when it comes to metro districts and affordability.

Crime, wildfires and taxes 

Asked to identify top priorities, Johnson said he would address crime and work to support local law enforcement, while Zenzinger would focus on wildfire issues.

Kerr said she would look first to balance the county budget.

Menten said she would focus on affordability and keeping “as much money in people’s pockets as possible.”

Bodenstab said he would focus on proportional representation.

The forum, held at the Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, was co-hosted by the Jefferson County League of Women Voters and Colorado Community Media.