In Their Own Words

Rural residents in Boulder County — in the mountains and plains — are not currently represented by the urban-centric system. Moving to 5 commissioners is a positive step forward that can increase representation and accountability.

This reform is long overdue — and needed.

I strongly support changing to Five County Commussiers, all elected from districts. As a resident of unincorporated Boulder County, I feel disenfranchised by the current three Commissioner model.

Having 5 commissioners creates the opportunity for a more genuinely representative form of county governance.

Democracy isn’t something you have — it’s something you need to do.

This change is long overdue!

More representation strengthens democracy.

I don't see a downside to adding two more sets of eyes on the distribution of so much money.

It’s past time to upgrade to five commissioners. We’ll get better representation and better decision-making.

County residents whose homes are affected by land-use changes deserve stronger representation. It is too easy for leaders to enact policies that impact others while remaining unaffected themselves.

Instead of one person calling the shots, a majority of 3 out of 5 seems far more democratic.

This change is long overdue. Three county commissioners cannot adequately represent all of Boulder County, especially rural communities. The City of Boulder has nine council members, while the county has just three commissioners. That imbalance speaks volumes, and the fact that two of the three current commissioners oppose this change is deeply troubling.

I applaud this effort to increase the number of county commissioners. A large portion of House District 49 in Boulder County is the unincorporated mountain towns and areas. These constituents feel left out and unheard. I believe that having five commissioners will make a difference to these folks.

I believe that expanding our County Commission to five members offers the opportunity for better representation. It is time that we represent all corners of our county and all people living here.

Small communities like mine, Niwot, need a chance at better representation.

Boulder unincorporated county residents must have their own representatives.

This will allow for greater representation for our Lafayette community.

I live in Githens Acres also known as the jewel streets. We are west of 26th street about a mile north of Iris. We are the largest County enclave (40 homes) that is surrounded by the City and believe or not are still on wells and septic. As the County staff will tell you, the innefficiency of servicing our small area costs the County extra money. We have been trying to annex to the City for over 20 years but have been unsuccessful. We have been blocked by one City department or another over requirments like upgrading our barely used chip and seal streets to pavement (over $100,000 per lot) and the future of Silver Lake Ditch.
I support going from 3 to 5 County Commssioners and hope to get help with our annexation once this happens.

Any disagreement between the three Commissioners gives too much power to one swing Commissioner - especially when there's a lot of disagreement on Board.

Unincorporated Boulder County needs better representation. YES to districts!

Broadening the base of representation is a positive and worthwhile move.

This will insure more complete representation across the county.

This is critical to help us achieve a less dysfunction county government.

Would love better representation of Unincorporated Boulder County.

We need a greater diversity of opinion among county commissioners to make wiser decision that reflect a greater consensus of Boulder voters not the current narrow one.

As our county grows so should the number of minds looking out for our best interests. Increasing from 3 to 5 commissioners isn't just needed and reasonable, it's long over due.

Five commissioners is the right configuration to manage Boulder into the next century.

This only makes sense in a county this size.

Representative democracy is more important now than ever before, and it is vital that all our Boulder County communities have a voice in Boulder County policies. I fully support the work of Big Tent Boulder County and hope that others will join me in signing the petition and volunteering to support this effort.

Adding new commissioners has the potential of providing residents who live in unincorporated Boulder County with the representation they deserve.

County commissioners need more accountability to rural Boulder county. This is long overdue.

A long term idea that should have happened decades ago!

Our County is large enough that 2 additional Commissioners will provide improved representation.

Just makes sense..... 5 minds are more effective than 3.

Boulder County could benefit from expanding to five commissioners because it would provide broader representation and more diverse perspectives on local issues. Increasing the number of commissioners also helps distribute the workload and can lead to more effective governance.

Diversity of thought is important to our democracy. This rarely happens in Bouler County with only three elected officials to represent a large number of people living in many diverse communities across the county. At the municipal and school board level there are seven elected official which increases the opportunity for more ideas, discussion, and debate to ensure good long-term decisions. Three County Commissioners is too few, but five would better serve us all.

A closed mouth doesn't get fed!

Expanding the number of county commissioners will create more access points for residents, bring fresh perspectives to the table, and ensure a wider range of community priorities receive serious attention. Our county has grown and changed, and our governance structure needs to evolve to match.

This is necessary for better representation.

No one listens to unincorporated Boulder County residents. Let’s use our voice.

Boulder's size and the diversity of its population, along with the variety and import of issues that come before the Commission, merits an increase in the number of county commissioners.

I heard about this initiative from a friend and 100% support greater representation of governance in Boulder county. This is a much needed initiative and will make our county even stronger.