Letters, June 9: Beware home rule lawsuits; Red flags; Hypocrisy; Misleading; Power grab; Follow the money
- Vote No on Home Rule
- Jun 10
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 20
Excerpts from letters to the editor at Colorado Community Media, June 9, 2025
The Douglas County home rule presentation by Commissioners Teal, Laydon and Van Winkle, and County Attorney Jeff Garcia, discussed the Weld County commissioner lawsuit filed by the League of Women Voters. The correct story is that the presentation failed to mention redistricting violation of the state law and only attributed the lawsuit to the League of Women Voters...
I am part of the League of Women of Arapahoe and Douglas County Observer Corps. I was involved in the home rule process in another state and knew the importance of extensive public education. So, I have red flags about the home rule process in this county. I am very concerned about the lack of citizen meetings, the ability to ask questions directly to the commissioners by the citizens, and comments made during presentations to other districts and boards...
I recently attended the county commissioners’ home rule town hall, and left more convinced than ever that this proposal deserves a firm no. I was struck not just by what was said, but by the glaring disconnect between their words and actions. Time and again, they’ve proven to be hypocritical...
Anyone who has been paying attention to the clown show that is our Board of County Commissioners would ask of the home rule question, “… why would I want to give these characters more power?” They have cost the voters significantly in legal fees and embarrassment for their various miscues, which have been well covered in this publication...
I’ve been a resident of Douglas County for close to 40 years. At one time it was a wonderful place to live – very welcoming, neighbor helping neighbor. However, the quality of life here has steadily continued to erode, and the decline has been hastened by the current county commissioners whose focus as of late is on trying to quickly push through home rule, which serves only to give them more concentrated power to promote their own agenda without regard to what their constituents want...
The 5/28 home rule town hall meeting was disappointing and frustrating. Commissioners limited the meeting to one hour, taking only a few questions. The commissioners have initiated home rule, not the citizens of Douglas County. The process is rushed and lacks sufficient public discourse. Transparency requires more opportunities for questions and meaningful dialogue from a wider segment of the public. Home rule is permanent and deserves a more thorough, broad-based, citizen-driven engagement process...
One of the founding principles of our form of government was that of lengthy debate leading to compromise between the various constituencies to come to consensus. Not anymore. Now it’s all or nothing politics for almost everything in the name of fundraising. As a result we’re trending towards “Burger King” democracy: have it your way...
After attending multiple forums and digging into the facts, we’ve concluded that the proposed home rule initiative raises far more questions than it answers — and poses real risks to Douglas County governance...
As a Douglas County resident, I’m concerned about how home rule governance could undermine our school district’s independence in three critical areas: curriculum, school safety, and land use decisions...
Question 1A on the special election ballot (Election Day June 24) is misleading. It asks voters to elect a home rule charter commission “to study the structure and organization” of Dougco government. But this commission is tasked with much more than a “study.” If voters say yes, those elected will have just two months to write a county charter, described as a county constitution, with only three public meetings proposed in July and August, and a final draft due August 22. This is not enough time for the detailed, thorough, transparent process that such a vital purpose deserves...
Like many of my Highlands Ranch neighbors, I just learned in March about the actions of our county commissioners and the resulting home rule special election in June. Many of us are scrambling to catch up on what home rule is and why it is something our county needs on such a rushed timeline. There was just an election in 2024, and home rule wasn’t on the ballot then, so why now? The $500,000 cost to taxpayers for a single issue that could have waited for a normal election year is wasteful. The commissioner planned meetings under the radar of the general public and press. Dating back to November, these meetings excluded community input and lacked any press coverage. It’s shocking that our civil servants have not learned anything from the recent school board years that breaking Sunshine Laws is illegal and results in expensive litigation. Here we go again. Douglas County deserves better....
A bipartisan grassroots movement, initiated by the people, is underway in Douglas County. Taxpayers of all stripes agree to oppose home rule because it’s a power grab. Taxpayers don’t want to bankroll the BOCC’s political games and will defend a government that aligns more closely with the will of the people. Follow the money for the proof.
There are 268 regular folks who have contributed to Stop the Power Grab in this grassroots effort.
How many regular folks have contributed to the “Yes to Local Control” campaign supporting home rule? Two. One of them is Laura Teal, Commissioner George Teal’s wife. The other is Laura Tonner, wife of Sean Tonner of Renewable Water Resources...
I support home rule for Douglas County but will vote against this effort. Here is why:...
I did a search on home rule and Colorado and came up with the following article:
...In that article it says a section saying a decision to pursue home rule and elect representatives is to take place during a general election. The way I interpret that section, this June special election is illegal. Perhaps the rules have changed since that article.
If you’re already skeptical about the Douglas County commissioners’ push for home rule, here’s one more powerful reason to be concerned: follow the money.
The campaigns for and against home rule are funded by two issue committees. The opposition group, Stop the Power Grab, has raised $30,300 from 328 individual contributors — a clear sign of a grassroots, community-driven movement...
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