Douglas County Weighs Home Rule

Douglas County voters are casting ballots ahead of Tuesday's special election to decide their preferred system of government.

Why it matters: The ballot language may sound trivial, but its implications are far-reaching, and emotions are running high.

State of play: The measure asks voters whether a commission should write a new charter declaring Douglas a home rule county.

• If approved, a second vote on the charter's language would take place in November.

  
  

The intrigue: The all-Republican county commission referred the measure to the ballot — with little public input — to give itself more authority to push back against the Democratic-led state Capitol.

• "We see every year the state legislature encroaching … on traditionally local issues with state blanket mandates," county commissioner George Teal told CPR News.

• If approved, Douglas would become the third home rule county in the state, alongside Weld and Pitkin. (Denver and Broomfield exercise home rule authority as combined city-county governments.)

  
  

How it works: A home rule county ostensibly gets more control to adopt ordinances and avoid state mandates. All the cities in Douglas County have home rule powers.

• Yes, but: It's not unconditional authority, experts say. How much power the county commissioners would wield under home rule status ultimately depends on how the charter language is written.

  
  

The big picture: Douglas County's leaders may be Republicans, but the county is far from the conservative bastion it once was.

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