Public Comments

The latest proposed redistricting map prioritizes the interests of the Denver Metro (other than Republican Douglas County) and minimizes the voices of rural Coloradans. The map also splits up the Western Slope, despite the voices of the people who live there. I think we should balance the representation from across the state and maintain competitive districts so that all of Colorado has a voice, and has a chance to elect best representatives from any party, not only the party that controls Denver. Thank you

Fort Collins like much of Larimer county cares deeply about community and public space/service. Weld county would not represent us and would actively harm the communities future. It has been clear with the differences in the counties and cities approach to COVID that we are not like weld county and they will not represent us! Progressive policies like those historically favored in Fort Collins would not be heard much less passed in Weld County. Adding Fort Collins to the Weld County district will take away Fort Collins political power in decisions of representation for our state and Nation. Please do not redraw the line with Fort Collins in Weld County.

DO NOT SPLIT UP THE WESTERN SLOPE! IT SHOULD BE ONE DISTRICT! Also, Boulder County does not fit in district 2. Boulder is completely different and has different needs and wants than the rest of the District 2 (except for parts of Laramie which are similar to Boulder) Jefferson County should be together with Douglas and perhaps Arapahoe. It is mostly the Front Range and has Front Range issues. It should not be tied into the mountain communities. Thank you for your time.

Why are you putting rural Colorado in with urban Colorado? That is just plain not right. You know better than that. Keep your cities and we will keep our rural area.

The appearance of the current redistricting plan is that it gives considerably more influence to the front range communities than to the more rural portions of the state. This would be an unfortunate development, and would exacerbate the divisions that already exist. Please try to preserve the very important voices of our rural neighbors.

I am glad to see all of our community of Douglas County together, and with eastern Colorado with which we share common rural values. It looks like more work needs to be done to unite the Western Slope counties.

The new map is far superior to the earlier one. Congressional District 3 is ,more competitive than on the earlier map, and would have two representatives who would represent the West Slope as part of their districts, instead of just one. Also, Latino/a and Native American populations would have a substantial influence in CD3. This is much better map; please go ahead and adopt it.

Rural Colorado must be better represented. We are the ones who feed and supply this nation. We deserve more representation. We should NOT lose our voice.

Dear Colorado Independent Redistricting Commissions, I am writing to object to the proposed congressional re-districting map with respect to the proposed inclusion of Fort Collins in the same district as the eastern plains and Douglas County. It is extremely difficult to understand, yet alone be persuaded by the rationale behind this specific proposal. My family and I have been residents of Fort Collins since 1992, with some time spent in other cities along the northern Front Range. As a practicing water attorney since 2006, I also have some understanding of the various issues facing and defining communities in these regions. Fort Collins is an urban community with a diverse economy and populace. As Fort Collins has and continues to grow, the issues facing it are those of a dense and complex city, not those of rural and exurban areas. As a community, Fort Collins has far more in common with its neighboring communities along the Front Range corridor than the various communities along the eastern plains and Douglas County. The social, cultural, and economic differences between Fort Collins and the remainder of the proposed district simply cannot be overstated. Despite giving this map the benefit of the doubt, I am unable to find any common social, cultural, or economic thread tying these communities together in any meaningful way. It may be that Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University and its agricultural sciences programs. However, these are very minor (if valuable) pieces of Fort Collins at large and its community. Despite Fort Collins' agricultural heritage, this heritage is now but a minor voice in a diverse urban choir. With respect to water issues, Fort Collins is significantly dependent on the Colorado River and the native mountain streams of the Eastern Slope for water for municipal and industrial uses. This stands in contrast to the significant groundwater use for agricultural purposes that dominate the remainder of the proposed district. It would make far more sense to group Fort Collins with other Front Range communities, and even some mountain communities facing similar urbanization and Colorado River issues. With respect to the remainder of the proposed district, these areas have far more in common with the San Luis Valley and other areas that are rural and dominated by agriculture. I respectfully request that you reconsider the proposed map. Please feel free to contact me to discuss any of these items. Thank you for considering these comments and your dedication to public service. -Eric Potyondy, J.D.

The most recent map is much fairer than the first one. It is by far the best choice.