Commissioners press for county authority as Colorado session advances housing and clean-energy bills

During board reports Jan. 22, commissioners outlined priorities for the 2026 Colorado legislative session and warned of bills that could affect local land use and county authority. Commissioner Williams described three housing bills that would expand by-right development on certain property types (first discussed last year in the context of churches and now schools), saying the county would press to retain public process and oversight. He said he and fellow commissioners will meet with state representatives to make the county’s case.

Williams also called attention to a "Clean Energy Siting" initiative the county views as a potential preemption threat if the state attempts to remove local permitting authority for large clean-energy projects. He said the county may seek statutory language providing technical support and tax incentives rather than blanket preemption. Commissioners emphasized that rural contexts (lack of transit or multimodal infrastructure) must be weighed in statewide bills that assume urban conditions. The board vowed to use CCI and direct conversations with sponsors to protect Teller County interests.

Separately, the chair and other commissioners discussed statewide budget pressures and potential impacts on Pinnacol/Pinnacle Assurance funds and homestead exemption funding; they said they will monitor proposals that might reallocate long-standing insurance reserves or change funding streams that support senior and veteran exemptions.