For the third consecutive year, a Democratic legislator is pushing legislation to increase the number of seats in a county commission board — to five for Colorado’s largest counties.

Two years ago, Rep. Robert Marshall’s proposal  died in committee. Last year, the idea advanced a little further but it, too, failed to get enough votes in the House.

This year, Marshall told Colorado Politics he would be happy if it at least gets across to the Senate — and receive the chamber’s full vote.

Marshall’s House Bill 1265 offered some changes from its previous incarnations, notably including minimum population requirements. It also attracted new new co-sponsors in Sens. Larry Liston, R-Colorado Springs, and Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. In 2023 and 2024, his only co-sponsor was former Democratic Sen. Kevin Priola.

The most significant change to the 2025 bill is the minimum population requirement. In the prior two years, Marshall pushed for a five-member commission for any county with a minimum population of 70,000. The current bill increases that threshold to 250,000.

Four of the state’s largest counties, Adams, Arapahoe, El Paso, and Weld counties, already have five-member commissions.

If the bill passes, Douglas, Larimer, Jefferson, and Boulder counties would be forced to move to a five-member board.

While Denver meets the population criteria, it does not have a board of commissioners because it is both a city and a county.

By increasing the population minimum, the bill, if enacted, Pueblo County, which adamantly opposed last year’s measure, would not be affected.

In continuing to push the legislation, Marshall said he believes three-member commissions elected by the entire county instead of in the districts they represent create shortfalls in representation.

Using Douglas County as an example, Marshall said the District 3 commissioner represents residents in mostly Highlands Ranch, though the entire county votes in the election, so commissioners are effectively elected at-large. 

Marshall said that when Highlands Ranch and Lone Tree only represent 28% of the county’s total population, the district commissioner does not have to focus on their needs because they are elected mainly through residents outside the district.

HB 1265 will require at least three commissioners to be elected in the districts they are running. If approved, the affected counties would be required to have five commissioners and five districts, choosing from three election method options that include:

• Five commissioners resident in five districts elected only by residents in those districts;

• Three commissioners resident in three districts elected only by residents in those districts and two commissioners elected at-large; or

• Five commissioners elected at-large using the proportional ranked voting method known as the single transferable vote method.

When asked why this year’s measure might have a different outcome, Marshall said the issue is becoming a bigger deal and fellow lawmakers are starting to understand the need for the changes the bill seeks.