Fremont commissioners push back at governor’s CCI remarks, warn about state centralization and siting changes

Fremont County commissioners recapped takeaways from the recent Colorado Counties Incorporated (CCI) winter conference, focusing on two related concerns: state moves to regionalize or centralize services administered locally and the governor’s comments on renewable-energy siting.

Commissioner Kevin Grantham said the governor characterized counties as the primary roadblock to siting solar gardens and wind farms. "The governor stood before the counties and blamed us for the lack of ability ... we're the roadblock," Grantham said on the recording. He and other commissioners rejected that characterization and noted that many large renewable projects are proceeding in other counties.

Commissioner Grantham and others warned that the legislature or executive actions could seek to limit county authority over siting. "They're going to try to take away our authority on citing these things," Grantham said, adding that such moves would risk imposing unfunded burdens on rural counties.

Discussion at CCI also covered Department of Human Services administration — commissioners said the state has moved between regionalization and decentralization and that current proposals to re-centralize some functions would add costs and complexity for counties. "They were putting things back at a local level ... and now the state has once again decided to regionalize and to centralize," Debbie Bell said.

The podcast quoted commissioners’ impressions and frustration with prepared questions at the governor’s appearance; there was no back-and-forth with state officials on the recording and no formal county action recorded against state proposals. The commissioners encouraged continued engagement through CCI and with state agencies to protect local control.