Weld County Commissioners have announced four public meetings to discuss what they describe as a concerning divide between the interest of rural and urban Colorado.
There are a few proposals on the table to solve this problem, the most high profile of which would create a 51st state with eastern Colorado counties.
Republican Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway says the problem came to a head during the 2013 legislative session, when both the state house and state senate had a Democratic majority.
“I’ve been concerned about the anger and emotions surrounding particularly the just completed session," said Conway. "There are a lot of frustrated people. And quite frankly there are a lot of people that are angry at government in general right now.”
Weld County is part of a loose coalition of 10 eastern counties that have been meeting and discussing ideas on how best to elevate the concerns of rural Colorado. The counties met June 24 and July 8 in Akron, Colo. At the July meeting, a second idea emerged from the group that seeks to change the composition of the state legislature so rural areas can get more representation.
Conway says both ideas will be discussed at the public meetings.
“We want as much participation both those that think it’s a good idea or those who don’t think it’s a good idea. I think it’s a healthy discussion to have, we want as much participation as possible,” said Conway.
Meeting Schedule:
All meetings will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- July 25 - Fort Lupton Recreation Center, Multipurpose Room, 350 Harrison Ave., Fort Lupton
- July 29 - Southwest Weld Complex, Large Meeting Room, 4209 Weld County Road 24½, Longmont
- July 30 - Evans Recreation Center, Cottonwood Room, 1100 37th Street, Evans
- July 31 - Ault Fire Department, 16680 Highway 14, Ault
