Fuld transskription af Boulder County Ballot Questions 200 + 201: Should BoCo add 2 commissioners?

Weekly, arguing more people would only slow down the process and make getting things done more difficult. 00:04:23.680 --> 00:04:28.240 Claire's opposition to the measure is, quote, not about me and my job. 00:04:28.480 --> 00:04:33.360 It's just about good governance and whether this is going to solve problems or create problems. 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:37.439 Fellow Commissioner Marta Lochemin is also opposed to the expansion. 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:41.839 Boulder's labor union didn't endorse the measure because of the extra cost it would add. 00:04:42.079 --> 00:04:46.800 Commissioners are paid a$120,000 salary, mandated by state law. 00:04:46.959 --> 00:04:58.879 Proponents of question 200 say that's just a drop in the bucket of the county's overall$750 million budget and a worthwhile trade-off for what is hopefully an expansion of perspectives and expertise. 00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:08.399 I think these incremental two commissioners were in their keep. 00:05:08.560 --> 00:05:12.079 The City of Boulder has nine city council members who represent$100,000 people. 00:05:12.319 --> 00:05:15.839 City Longmont has seven city council members who represent 100,000 people. 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:23.600 If that's the strongest argument that people can make, well, we should stick to our cling to our 1861 three-county commissioner model, I think it fails. 00:05:23.920 --> 00:05:25.600 So that's question 200. 00:05:25.839 --> 00:05:29.600 Question 201 would decide how new commissioners are distributed. 00:05:29.839 --> 00:05:32.800 Here's another clip from our January episode to explain. 00:05:33.120 --> 00:05:38.000 Two new commissioners could be added at large, meaning they would represent the entire county. 00:05:38.160 --> 00:05:40.800 That's how adjacent Weld County runs things. 00:05:41.040 --> 00:05:48.319 Or the measure could result in five redrawn districts with a representative from each, a la Arapaho County. 00:05:48.720 --> 00:05:52.720 That latter option is what Big Ten organizer Mason Moyer wants to see. 00:05:53.360 --> 00:06:02.560 And the way it's kind of divided up with districts right now for the three, we always end up with somebody from the western portion of Boulder City. 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:11.040 And that person's it is wildly different from Boulder to the Mountains. 00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:16.319 The skill set, just the personalities, everything wildly different. 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:19.279 And it's like anything. 00:06:19.360 --> 00:06:32.240 If you're gonna represent those people and you have a district that is as diverse as this county is as well, um you have to go, you gotta go there. 00:06:32.399 --> 00:06:36.160 You gotta be with the people, you have to be relatable, you have to understand what the problems are. 00:06:36.560 --> 00:06:37.920 And we don't have that. 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:39.839 You know, we just haven't had it. 00:06:40.160 --> 00:06:54.240 And I think it's important not only for us in the mountains, but as

somebody who's raised on a farm and has a deep connection to farmers, I think about everybody on the eastern side, and they deserve representation. 00:06:54.560 --> 00:06:59.120 Moyer is a resident of Ward who has also lived in Jamestown, Netherland, and Raymond. 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:03.600 She wants more representation for rural communities in the mountains and eastern plains. 00:07:03.920 --> 00:07:09.360 In our January interview, she pointed out that the current commissioners are from Longmont, Boulder, and Louisville. 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:14.399 And nearly all commissioners in recent history have hailed from one of Boulder County's bigger cities. 00:07:14.560 --> 00:07:21.120 Simply adding two at-large positions would likely only give more representation to the populous parts of the county. 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:25.120 Because where the most people live is also where the most votes come from. 00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:35.040 That's left mountain folks feeling underrepresented and underserved when it comes to things like responses to and resilience building for natural disasters and climate change. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:38.399 People don't come up there and even campaign. 00:07:38.560 --> 00:07:40.240 We're just people in these towns. 00:07:40.319 --> 00:07:41.680 Where's our representation? 00:07:41.920 --> 00:07:48.000 Again, just like farmers, these folks were raised with uh a fierce independence. 00:07:48.160 --> 00:07:49.439 We do things for ourselves. 00:07:49.600 --> 00:07:53.199 We can, we are hardy folk, we can handle this. 00:07:54.079 --> 00:07:57.439 But nobody should have to be begging for resources. 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:00.879 Not everyone in Boulder County's small towns agree with Mason. 00:08:01.040 --> 00:08:09.680 The commissioner issue has become an interesting divide in NIWAT as residents battle over whether or not to incorporate as their own town and get out from under county control. 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:15.279 Neighbors for NIWAT, the group opposing incorporation, is endorsing the addition of two commissioners. 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:29.519 A statement on their campaign website reads: with a five-member board, especially under the district model, the NYWAT area would have a much stronger chance of electing a commissioner who lives here, understands our community, and advocates for our interest at the county level. 00:08:29.839 --> 00:08:38.799 Pro-incorporation organizer Nick Little said the campaign's official position is that more commissioners won't make any difference to the small town of about 4,500. 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:41.120 There's nobody to advocate on our part. 00:08:41.279 --> 00:08:46.399 We have no voting power, so we're 1.4% of the population of Boulder County. 00:08:46.480 --> 00:08:50.960 So we have no meaningful way to sort of impact the vote. 00:08:51.440 --> 00:08:54.639 And then there's even like a proposal to move it to five commissioners. 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:55.600 That doesn't change it. 00:08:55.840 --> 00:08:59.039 We will still have like a negligible impact on the vote. 00:08:59.519 --> 00:09:02.080 Our position is vote however you want. 00:09:02.240 --> 00:09:04.639 That isn't going to solve our local problems. 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:07.759 Personally, I mean, I don't think it's going to help. 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:18.399 Because it doesn't change the fundamental governance structure, and it doesn't change, it just means you have five people rather than a local government. 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:25.200 Some proponents of ballot question 200 and 201 question whether it will provide more representation. 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:33.759 Brian Keegan, a CU Boulder data scientist, is supporting the expansion, but wants to add two commissioners at large rather than in districts. 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:47.440 Because state law requires the districts be proportional and fair based on population, he worries about carving up the two biggest cities into Franken districts, opening the door to what he calls gerrymandering and election shenanigans. 00:09:47.840 --> 00:09:51.440 Boulder County has about 330,000 people. 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:56.000 So if we divide it three ways, that's three groups of 110,000. 00:09:56.240 --> 00:10:00.799 And so Boulder and Longmont are both, coincidentally, around 110,000 people. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:06.639 So it's fairly straightforward to draw a district for Boulder, a district for Longmont, then a third district for everyone else. 00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:17.519 And so what I worry about with a five-district model is that that would end up being like five districts of about 66,000 people, is that you would end up having to split up Longmont and Boulder in some kind of way. 00:10:17.679 --> 00:10:24.799 Whenever you think about like trying to split up communities, that opens up room for shenanigans around gerrymandarine or territoriality. 00:10:25.120 --> 00:10:31.840 In making his case for at-large commissioners, Keegan directly acknowledges what Mason and other small-town residents are saying. 00:10:32.240 --> 00:10:39.679 More elected officials without districts essentially gives Boulder and Longmont residents three times the voting power as everyone else. 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:56.080 Is there a risk that a three plus two model ends up just kind of giving Boulder and Longmont four votes on the council to like do whatever they want? 00:10:56.240 --> 00:11:01.039 I think that's definitely like a real and valid concern and override mountain and rural communities. 00:11:01.200 --> 00:11:09.200 But again, there's no guarantees that the at-large candidates have to be drawn from Longmont or Boulder either, although in reality they almost certainly will be. 00:11:09.759 --> 00:11:24.799 If you believe that we should have equitable representation, particularly if you live in a maybe a smaller town like Naiwat or Lyons or you live up in the mountains or Audenese County, you might want five districts because

you might want to have someone who is kind of your representative. 00:11:24.960 --> 00:11:32.080 You don't want Boulder and Longmont to dominate things, and you would like to have a district that's drawn that represents your interests. 00:11:32.480 --> 00:11:40.000 Whichever way the district vote goes, if Measure 200 passes, it will be up to the current commissioners to redraw district boundaries. 00:11:40.159 --> 00:11:43.840 They would have until July 1st, 2027, to do so. 00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:49.360 The five commissioners elected in 2028 will serve according to whichever maps are approved. 00:11:49.679 --> 00:11:54.320 Big Tent as an organization isn't taking a stance on districts versus at large. 00:11:54.559 --> 00:12:00.879 At the end of the day, Bob said, the most important thing is evolving the county government to meet our modern day challenges. 00:12:01.279 --> 00:12:05.360 It's 165 years coming, and I think it's time for us to move to five. 00:12:05.600 --> 00:12:10.320 How the voters decide they like to do that three plus two versus five is really their choice. 00:12:10.399 --> 00:12:18.399 And I think people are going to kind of consider what they think is in their best interest and how they can have the best representation and the greater greatest access to commissioners. 00:12:18.480 --> 00:12:22.080 And that's really what we're striving for, regardless of which method the voters pick. 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:25.279 One final note on campaign fundraising for this issue. 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:30.960 Big Tent raised big bucks, including some very large donations from wealthy individuals. 00:12:31.120 --> 00:12:37.120 According to campaign finance records, Boulder mayoral candidate Achilles Lagrave gave$10,000. 00:12:37.519 --> 00:12:41.120 Former tech exec Dan Caruso donated$25,000. 00:12:46.720 --> 00:12:51.759 A Denver-based election reform group called Courageous Colorado gave another$10,000. 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:57.200 Both Theory and Courageous Colorado have advocated for ranked choice voting throughout the state. 00:12:57.440 --> 00:13:03.200 Big Ten organizers said the campaign needed to hire petition gatherers in order to make the ballot. 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:05.279 That explanation makes sense to me. 00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:07.440 It's expensive to get things on the ballot. 00:13:07.600 --> 00:13:16.960 But whenever I see big money in a campaign, it raises red flags, particularly when most of the funding comes from a handful of super wealthy millionaires and billionaires. 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:23.440 I fully realize this is a personal bias, but I don't trust rich people to have my best interest at heart. 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:30.639 To quote a very old, very pertinent working man slogan: none but General Lud means the poor man any good. 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:36.639 That's all for today's show. 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:42.879 Our election coverage continues next week with a look at the many, many taxes on your ballot. 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:46.000 As always, thanks for listening.