Douglas County’s commissioners are balking at several proposals at the state Capitol that they said would diminish local control.

In a resolution, the commissioners said lawmakers have “repeatedly injected state policies into long-standing matters of local concern, including local elections and land regulation.” 

The resolution, which the commissioners approved on April 22, identified four specific proposals surrounding commissioner board vacancies, building codes and permitting:

House Bill 25-1191 deals with the process for filing vacant commissioner seats

House Bill 25-1319 seeks to change process for filling a county commissioner preterm vacancy and to require an election

House Bill 25-1093 aims to prohibit local governments from limiting the number of building permits issued in a time period

Senate Bill 25-002 establishes regional building codes for factory-built structures.

“These mandates are a clear infringement on the concerns of local governments and their ability to make the best decisions for their communities,” Commissioner and Board Chair Abe Laydon said in a statement.

Laydon described his county as “one of the safest, healthiest, and most prosperous counties in the nation.”

“Local policies and control can keep it that way,” he said.

Douglas County is seeking to become a “home rule” county, saying that would provide the jurisdiction with more local control through its own charter and the ability to seek exemptions from some state laws.

For example, HB 1319 exempts home rule counties.

Only Weld and Pitkin Counties have adopted a home rule structure in Colorado. Denver and Broomfield are also home rule municipalities, but are also a combined city and county.

On the issue of home rule, Rep. Max Brooks of Castle Rock recently told The Denver Gazette he agrees that the General Assembly is pursuing legislation to “erode local control.”

“We know our communities best, not the state legislature,” Commissioner George Teal said.

Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle, a former state legislator, insisted that the legislative measures are “intruding upon the affairs of local governments,” calling the efforts “dangerous.”

“Here on the local level,” Van Winkle said, “we know how to make decisions in the best interest of our communities, allowing residents to thrive physically, mentally, and financially.”