Voters may decide option of five commissioners

By Dan MacArthur
Correspondent

Voters likely will decide whether increasing the number of Larimer County commissioners is worth the price of a property tax hike.

But the chance of success seems slim considering that neither the commissioners nor the citizen groups advocating the increase from three to five commissioners support the proposal as it would appear on a ballot.

"It's intentionally designed for failure," contended Karen Wagner. A candidate seeking the seat held by Commissioner Tom Bender, she also was a member of the Citizens for 5 Commissioners.

Two years ago, the group collected 9,500 petition signatures requesting the commissioners to refer such a proposal to the ballot. After apparently agreeing to the request, the commissioners reneged after it was too late for proponents to formally submit the petitions to initiate a vote.

The commissioners forcefully asserted that subsequent research further confirmed their belief that there is no need to boost the number of commissioners.

"I do not support the five commissioners," said Commissioner Glenn Gibson. "It's increased government and it makes government less efficient."

"I don't think it will do us any good but I think the citizens should have that choice," said Bender.

Commissioner Kathay Rennels noted that they agreed to consider putting the proposal before voters after studying it further and soliciting public feedback.

"This is what we said we'd do," she said. "I would support asking the people of Larimer County if they want it, but it needs to be an honest answer."

That's why the commissioners said they could support placing such an issue on the ballot only if it included a method of funding the estimated $300,000 cost for two new positions. An estimated 0.3 mill property tax increase would be required to cover salaries and associated costs.

"We're asking departments to justify new positions; I think we need to ask the same thing of ourselves," Rennels said.

"If we're going to grow government, it needs to pay its own way," agreed Bender.

But the commissioners refused to support any expansion calling for commissioners to both represent and be elected from specific geographic districts as the citizens group and the League of Women Voters of Larimer County favored. They rejected the league's contention that such a system would improve voter turnout and connection between constituents and the commissioners.

Contrary to critics' claims that electing commissioners from districts would lead to better representation, the commissioners contended it would lead to more parochialism at a time when a regional approach is required. Currently commissioners must live in one of three districts, but they are elected by all voters within the county.

"I think it's our jobs as commissioners to look at things countywide," said Bender. "I believe as an elected official I represent all the people in the county."

The commissioners also summarily dismissed as impractical the possibility of pursuing a home rule form of government. That was one of the other options analyzed by the state Department of Local Affairs in a May 2003 study examining alternative governance structures in Larimer County.

Although all three opposed expanding the number of commissioners, Rennels and Bender voted to put the question to a vote. Gibson was opposed. "We don't want to let this thing linger on," said Bender.

The commissioners directed their staff to prepare a ballot issue. It first would ask voters whether the number of commissioners should be increased from three to five with a corresponding property tax increase of 0.3 mills to finance such a change.

Next, regardless of how they voted on the first questions, voters would choose between two options should the expansion be approved. Both would maintain at-large voting, giving voters across the county the ability to choose all five commissioners. One would require commissioners to reside in one of five newly formed commissioner districts. The other would require commissioners to reside in one of three districts while enabling the election of two additional commissioners who could live anywhere in the county.

County Manager Frank Lancaster said he expected a draft ballot issue could be prepared by early July. The commissioners, he said, would have until the last week of August to decide whether to place it on the ballot.

Wagner protested that the commissioners had intentionally perverted a representation issue into a tax issue doomed to fail. "I'm sorry you're not listening to the 9,500 people who signed the petition," she said.