To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office
Prepared By:
prepared
Nico Johnson, Management Analyst, Commissioners' Office
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presenter
Presenter: Nico Johnson, Management Analyst, Commissioners' Office; Kathy Smith, Director, Community Resources; Bryan Weimer, Director, Public Works & Development; Jen Ludwig, Director, Public Health; Dan Makelky, Director, Human Services; Ron Carl, County Attorney, Attorney's Office, Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office
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Subject:
title
3:00 PM *2026 Legislative Issues Guide: Legislative Priorities and Principles
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this meeting is to review and approve the state and federal legislative priorities and the legislative principles developed by the legislative team for the 2026 Legislative Issues Guide.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Good Governance - Proactively advocate for the County's needs in legislative solutions.
Background and Discussion: As a constitutional subdivision of Colorado state government, Arapahoe County can only exercise those powers specifically expressed in statute or in the constitution. Arapahoe County contracts with Bowditch and Cassell Public Affairs for state advocacy activities and Squire, Patton, Boggs for federal advocacy activities. The Director of the Commissioners' Office coordinates federal and state intergovernmental relations, in partnership with the County's legislative team, consisting of the Director of Human Services, the County Attorney, the Director of Community Resources, the Director of Public Works and Development, and the Director of Public Health.
On an annual basis, the Board of County Commissioners adopts legislative priorities and principles to guide federal and state advocacy work, evaluate policy positions through the lens of fiscal and operational impacts to Arapahoe County, and ensure consistency with its stated strategic plan an...
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