Local Control

Webb: A ‘yes’ vote for Home Rule is a vote for Douglas County’s future

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Local, Top Stories / / , , , ,

On June 24, 2025, Douglas County residents will have the opportunity to vote in a Special Election to decide whether to form a Home Rule Charter Commission and elect 21 commission members to draft a potential Home Rule Charter. As the leader of the Douglas County Republican Party, I believe this historic vote could pave the way for greater local control, flexibility, and self-governance, positioning Douglas County to address its unique needs more effectively. Here’s why voting “Yes” for Home Rule is the best choice for our county.

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Restaurants win relief as Colorado bill leaves wage hikes to local control

Axios, Approved, State / / , , , , , ,

The nasty fight at the Colorado Capitol over how much to pay tipped restaurant workers ended in a standoff this week.

The big picture: Gov. Jared Polis signed the Restaurant Relief Act into Colorado law on Tuesday, with backing from the Colorado Restaurant Association and other major industry organizations.

Why it matters: The result is a victory for the opposition, which mounted an aggressive campaign against the legislation, though it gives cash-pinched restaurant owners another chance to make their case at the local level.

Restaurants win relief as Colorado bill leaves wage hikes to local control Read More »

Montrose Commissioner Pond: The Constitution isn’t a suggestion—it’s a line in the sand

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories / / , , , , , , , , ,

Something is happening in Colorado. You can feel it.

Not on the surface, but beneath it. Beneath the silence. Beneath the carefully packaged language of equity, sustainability, and progress. We are being conditioned. Slowly, quietly, and deliberately.

Conditioned to comply. Conditioned to accept change without question. Conditioned to believe that liberty is negotiable, that tradition is outdated, and that resistance is somehow wrong.

But here’s the truth they don’t want you to hear.

The Constitution doesn’t need to evolve. It needs to be defended.

Montrose Commissioner Pond: The Constitution isn’t a suggestion—it’s a line in the sand Read More »

Cities sue Polis over housing mandate, cite threat to local control

The Colorado Sun, Approved, Local, State / / , , , , , , , ,

Six “home rule” cities in Colorado are suing the state, alleging it has unconstitutionally usurped their local authority over land use and zoning as it pushes communities to allow denser housing development. 

The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of an executive order Gov. Jared Polis signed last week to withhold some state grants from local communities if they fail to implement a slate of recent housing laws. The cities say the order encroaches on the powers of both the General Assembly and the judiciary to say what the law is and is “beyond the governor’s authority.”

Cities sue Polis over housing mandate, cite threat to local control Read More »

Governor’s executive order threatening loss of funding draws fire for overriding local housing control

CBS Colorado, Approved, Local, State / / , , , , , , ,

Gov. Jared Polis is putting local governments on notice: Either they comply with state housing laws, or they risk losing at least $100 million a year in state funding.

The governor signed an executive order that takes the battle over local control to a new level. Over the last two years, he’s signed bills regarding residential occupancy limits and accessory dwelling units, transit-oriented communities and manufactured homes, and even limits on staircases and parking spots.

Governor’s executive order threatening loss of funding draws fire for overriding local housing control Read More »

Gazette editorial board: Veto HB 25-1147 to stop the soft-on-crime overreach

Approved, denvergazette.com, State / / , , , , , , , , ,

Our state was slammed by a crime wave a few years ago — aided and abetted by a notoriously offender- friendly, victims-be-damned Legislature — leaving it to hard-hit local governments to figure out how to respond.

With state lawmakers abandoning the crime fight on every front — hard drugs, auto theft, illegal immigration, you name it — a number of Colorado cities, commendably, took the reins.

Gazette editorial board: Veto HB 25-1147 to stop the soft-on-crime overreach Read More »

District 51’s master plan delivers first wins with taxpayer-focused school upgrades

The Business Times, Approved, Local / / , , , , , , ,

Mesa County Valley School District 51 continues to advance its 25-year Facility Master Plan, a comprehensive roadmap initiated in 2023 to address the district’s long-term infrastructure needs.

At the Grand Junction Economic Summit on April 25, District 51 Superintendent Brian Hill discussed the district’s success in developing the facility master plan as a way to communicate with the community, provide updates on capital funding needs and establish a consistent approach to securing and responsibly utilizing funding for the projects.

District 51’s master plan delivers first wins with taxpayer-focused school upgrades Read More »

“YIGBY” bill to let churches build housing on their land fails without Senate support

Colorado Politics, Approved, State / / , , , , , , , , ,

The campaign known as “YIGBY” – “Yes in God’s Backyard” – to allow churches, school districts, colleges, and universities to build affordable housing on their land failed in the waning days of the Colorado legislative session. 

House Bill 1169 would have required local governments to allow residential development on land owned by those institutions.

The bill has sat in the state Senate, awaiting debate, since it cleared the Senate’s Local Government and Housing Committee on March 27.

“YIGBY” bill to let churches build housing on their land fails without Senate support Read More »

Judge overrules Elizabeth School District, forces return of books parents objected to

denvergazette.com, Approved, Local / / , , , , , , ,

An Elbert County school district confirmed on Friday to a federal judge that it has restored 19 restricted books to library shelves after she found the school board likely violated the First Amendment rights of students and authors by removing the titles for ideological reasons.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit declined to suspend, or stay, a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney. Previously, Sweeney ordered the Elizabeth School District to return the restricted books to libraries, and she set a specific date of April 5. The 10th Circuit put that order temporarily on hold while it took an initial look at the case, before ultimately deciding against intervention.

Judge overrules Elizabeth School District, forces return of books parents objected to Read More »

HB25-1169 would strip local control, override zoning to force housing on church and school property

Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, State, Top Stories / / , , ,

A bill making its way through the Colorado legislature—HB 25-1169, the “Faith and Education Land Use” bill—is under growing scrutiny from local officials, school communities, and everyday Coloradans who see it as a sweeping override of local zoning authority.

HB25-1169 would strip local control, override zoning to force housing on church and school property Read More »