DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — A citizen-led initiative to increase the number of County Commissioners from three to five is gaining traction in Douglas County — but there's some disagreement about what the proposal could mean for term limits.
Denver7's Douglas County Reporter Tyler Melito first reported on the initiative in May. Current County Commissioner George Teal said at the time he was in favor of increasing the number of commissioners. Specifically, he favored the proposal to have three commissioners who represent a district, and two who are elected at-large saying: "It would effectively end term limits in Douglas County, Colorado."
▶️ WATCH: Denver7's DougCo reporter Tyler Melito looks into previous claims by Commissioner George Teal that the proposal would effectively end term limits
Currently, all three DougCo commissioners are elected to serve a district. If the initiative makes to the ballot in November, voters would also have the option
Teal said that if the measure passes to add at-large commissioners, he would be able to finish his current term as the District II commissioner, then run to be an at-large commissioner, serve two terms, then run again as a District II commissioner, serve two more terms, and that cycle could continue until he's either voted out or chooses to no longer serve.
Not everyone agrees with that assessment, and those comments have petition organizers like Angela Thomas pushing back.
"It's our understanding that the term limits go with the position, such as Douglas County Commissioner. It doesn't have to do with which district you represent; it has to do with the job itself," Thomas said.
Thomas added that if the initiative gets on the ballot and passes in November, it is her belief that Teal, whose second and current term ends in 2028, would not be able to run again until 2032.
"Now, in 2032 if he would choose to run again, he could, because it's not continuous," Thomas explained.
Denver7's Melito asked the commissioner via Zoom on Thursday if he wished to clarify his previous comment.
Teal pointed to the way the current initiative is written for why he believes he would be able to continue running.
"With the way the petition is on the street right now, it didn't touch in any way term limits," Teal said.
So who's right? Well, it's complicated.
Teal argued that this isn't without precedent in Colorado.
"The Colorado courts have already adjudicated — back when Adams County went from being three to five — that when you make that move from three to five it is a new office, and so the reality is, is yeah, current commissioners like myself actually could run for a term beyond the two terms that are specified now," Teal said.
In 2000, former Attorney General Ken Salazar issued an opinion on this very topic.
In it, Salazar said at the time: "A member of an elected body who occupies a district seat and has served the maximum number of consecutive terms is precluded from running immediately thereafter for election to that body as a member 'at-large.'”
In response to that, Teal said he respected the former AG's opinion, but noted that it wasn't an official ruling.
Denver7's Melito reached out to the AG's office for further comment, they referred him to the Douglas County attorney, who referred him to the Colorado secretary of state's office, which referred him back to the AG's office.
The AG's office recommended getting in touch with Colorado Counties Inc., a nonprofit that works with counties on a number of issues.
A spokesperson for the organization issued the following statement:
Commissioners are limited to serving two consecutive four-year terms, unless local voters remove or amend those term limits, per CO Constitution Article XVIII, Section 11.
Counties with a population of more than 70,000 may, with voter approval, expand their board to five commissioners, without necessarily the need for a home rule charter (this is the case for counties like Adams, Arapahoe, and El Paso; whereas Weld and Pitkin are both home rule counties). [C.R.S. 30-10-306.5] This area of statute also dictates the option of EITHER having three commissioners elected by district and two at large OR all by district.
It's all very confusing, but at least according to Colorado Counties Inc., commissioners couldn't serve more than two consecutive terms unless voters themselves decide to remove those term limits.
Parker Resident Emily Suyat, who's been helping gather signatures for the initiative, says she hopes more commissioners will give residents greater access to their elected officials.
"Right now, theoretically, each commissioner — three of them — they're each responsible for 400,000 of us, and if we did it by district, and if we had five, I think they would be more accessible to citizens," Suyat said.
Suyat moved to Douglas County in 2000. She has seen the population grow from less than 200,000 to around 400,000.
"I have met so many people. A lot of folks are not really aware of what our county commission does, but once they learn that they're in charge of a $600 million budget, 400,000 people, they want to sign," Suyat said.
She also called out Commissioner Teal for expressing support for the initiative, but to her knowledge, not signing the petition.
"I think he likes to say one thing and do another, but if he does support it, I think that's fantastic, and I hope he signs a petition soon," Suyat said.
Teal confirmed he hadn't signed yet.
"I know that there's been a petition canvasser usually in front of the county building before our business meetings. My only problem is, I'm the chairman of the board of county commissioners. I have to get the meeting running," he said. "I haven't had the spare time to just run out and sign it myself."
But when asked if he would sign the petition if presented the opportunity, Teal answered definitively.
"Oh, you bet," he said. "I mean, I think it's a great conversation for us to have as a community."
