To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners’ Office
Prepared By:
prepared
Cody O’Brien, Management Analyst I, Commissioners’ Office
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Subject:
title
Approval of the 2025 Arapahoe County Legislative Principles
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The Board is requested to approve the updated 2025 Arapahoe County Legislative Principles.
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Background and Discussion: Arapahoe County is committed to fulfilling its mission of enhancing life through exceptional delivery of services and efficient use of public funds.
As a constitutional subdivision of Colorado state government, Arapahoe County can only exercise those powers specifically expressed in statute or in the constitution. Generally, counties are responsible for law enforcement, including the court system, district attorney and jail facilities; the provision of social services on behalf of the state; the construction, maintenance, and repair of roads and bridges; health departments; and general control of land use in unincorporated areas.
The Board of County Commissioners is the primary policy-making body for the county and is responsible for the county’s administrative and budgetary functions.
Each year, the Arapahoe County Commissioners adopt principles to inform the County’s positions on bills during the state legislative session as well as inform federal advocacy efforts. The staff legislative committee, consisting of the County Attorney and the Directors of the Commissioners’ Office, Community Resources, Human Services, Public Health and Public Works & Development, suggested revisions to Arapahoe County’s legislative principles and presented them to the Board at the October 14, 2024, study session (materials attached). The draft 2025 Arapahoe County legislative principles were updated based on Board feedback and are attached as Exhibit A.
The principles also serve as a reference for elected representatives when considering legislation that may impact Arapahoe County. The Board of County Commissioners may revisit the county’s legislative principles throughout the year. Strategic, targeted and/or abbreviated versions of the information contained in this document also will be created throughout the year for use in further legislative communications.
Alternatives: The Board of County Commissioners may decide to revise the principles or decide not to adopt them.
Fiscal Impact: None
Alignment with Strategic Plan:
☒Be fiscally sustainable
☒Provide essential and mandated service
☒Be community focused
Concurrence: Staff Legislative Committee
Resolution: Attached is a copy of the draft resolution.