Pueblo commissioners oppose Colorado House bill that would add two new members to BOCC

Pueblo County Commissioners on Thursday voted 2-1 to oppose a proposed bill in the Colorado Legislature that would expand county commissions from three members to five.

House Bill 24-1177 calls for five commissioners in counties with populations of 70,000 or more. Pueblo County currently has about 170,000 residents, according to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics from 2022.

Proposed by Democrats Rep. Bob Marshall of Douglas County and Sen. Kevin Priola of Adams and Weld Counties, the bill would require five commissioners, at least three of whom would be elected only by voters in their districts.

The bill allows counties to choose between two election alternatives: three commissioners resident in three districts elected by voters living in those districts and two commissioners elected at large; or five commissioners resident in five districts elected only by voters living in those districts.

Where does each commissioner stand on the issue?

Commission Chairman Epimenio "Eppie" Griego and District 3 Commissioner Zach Swearingen voted in favor of a resolution opposing the bill during a work session Thursday. District 2 Commissioner Daneya Esgar voted against the resolution because "there is not enough information and I have not made a decision," she said.

"For five commissioners, it is not feasible right now," Griego said. "The money part, the taxes going up, it is just too expensive. ... It is going to hit the election office and I'm just opposed to it at this time. It is not a good bill."

"I know we are talking 2027-2028 (before the bill would affect Pueblo's next election), but it is not a good thing at this moment," he said.

Swearingen agreed and said that, in his mind, the bigger issue is "the fact that it seems to circumnavigate the voters here."

"There is the option if we put that on the ballot that we could achieve it (a five-member board) locally," he said. "I feel they are trying to take the power and voice away from the local constituency and just move it to Denver, so I'm opposed to it."

Esgar said opposition to the bill is "premature" and she would like to wait and see if there are potential amendments and different ideas floated about the bill's finances before deciding if she is for or against the bill.

"It is still in the first chamber and has not even gone to a vote on the floor yet. It is scheduled for the end of February for the first hearing," Esgar said.

Swearingen said it "sounded to me like changes were proposed to the author of the bill and they did not want to change anything. It was introduced last legislative session and did not go anywhere, so people thought it might be rewritten or amended."

Esgar pointed out that committee members can suggest amendments that would become a part of the bill "whether the author wants it or not."

"It's all the unfunded mandates that have come down here," Griego said. "Right now we have three commissioners who are at-large and we don't need a disruption with five commissions at this time."

"To me, it is going to cost a whole heck of a lot of money," he said.

According to the Colorado General Assembly website, Pueblo County Commissioners currently are paid $150,991 annually, so the cost to taxpayers to add two more would be more than $300,000 annually.

Swearingen agreed with Greigo and pointed out that "the cost would include two commissioners' salaries and two administrators' salaries and all the amenities and physical space that would go along with that (expansion)."

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Chieftain reporter Tracy Harmon covers business news. She can be reached by email at tharmon@chieftain.com or via X, formerly Twitter, at twitter.com/tracywumps. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo commissioners oppose Colorado House bill to add members to BOCC