Public Comments

Hello, I live in the 80526 zip code in Fort Collins. I wanted to share that currently the redistricting process has Fort Collins with Weld county and others on the Eastern plains of Colorado. Fort Collins has more in common with Boulder than Greeley, which is in Weld County. One of the goals of the commission is to group like communities together. This map does not do that. Fort Collins is a more urban location with a university and tech industries, and Weld County/Eastern plains are primarily rural and agricultural. The same person cannot represent both interests because they are often at odds. I would urge the commission to consider grouping Fort Collins with Boulder and other Front Range cities. Thank you, Ayelet Golz Fort Collins, CO 80526

The latest map release on/about 9/4/21 appears to fly in the face of the major guidelines to redistricting. 6 of the 8 proposed Congressional districts have population hubs in the Denver Metropolitan area, which will give The Denver Metro area (and the front range and unprecedented on our congressional elections. The Proposed breakup of CD3 terminated the communities of interest on the Western Slope, which are rural, agricultural, and shared communities of interest with public lands, water and tourism. Pairing the northern part of the West slope with High density populations in Boulder (Denver Metro) and Larimer (Front Range), two areas with few communities of interest with the Western Slope. They are also geographically divided. Putting Park, Teller and Fremont counties into CD7 severs the communities of interest that exist between these rural, sparsely-populated mountain counties with a high-density population i the Jefferson County (again - Denver Metro!) Teller County and Fremont Counties have no communities of mutual interest. We do our commerce in El Paso County and we are dominated by federal public lands. All three counties are rural and our interests would be ignored by pairing these three counties with Jefferson County. We are also Geographically separated from Jefferson County. There is an obvious and blatant bias in this new map, which specifically targets two sitting Republican Congressional members, something which is not supposed to be considered, but the fact that both districts are split away from the home counties of the two Republican congress members cannot be ignored as biased. This Map disrespects and ignores the communities of interest outside the Denver metro area and designed so that as the Denver Metro area continues to grow, that any rural voice in Colorado will be silenced by the dense and high-populated Denver Metro and Front Range populations. The original map draft was fair and balanced and I would support its adoption.

Please do not rip apart Summit County...we need to be in the 3rd Congressional District. I have lived in Breckenridge for over 31 years and it is very obvious to me that we are a Western resort area depending on skiing, hiking, biking ,fishing, mountain climbing, horseback riding...and have absolutely nothing in common with Boulder. I can't believe that you would even consider pairing us with big city areas. I strongly urge you to put us with the 3rd Congressional District! Thank you for your consideration. Marie Sautter

Regarding the placement of Fort Collins in district 4 and taking it out of district 2. Fort Collins is a mostly progressive city and it will not be able to offset the conservative forces of Douglas county and the entire eastern plains. We had enough of Bob Schaefer and Marilyn Musgrave when we were in district 4 in the past. We have been happy to have had Jared Polis and Joe Neguse represent us for the last 9 years and would like to keep it that way (progressive representation). Further, we should stay in the same district as the rest of Larimer county - why would you yank Fort Collins out of Larimer county? Why on earth would you think that Fort Collins has ANYTHING in common with the eastern plains and Douglas county??? Please get us back in line with Boulder county or other progressive voters so that we can have a congressperson that we are proud of and who will represent our citizens. The conservative congresspersons we have had in the past have been an embarrassment! Thank you.

I wish to express my serious concern about the proposed redistricting, which takes Fort Collins out of Larimer county and connects it with a broad swath of eastern Colorado. The term “community of interest” is used, and the proposal, as it stands, reflects everything but a community of interest. Fort Collins has little in common with eastern Colorado other than that both are areas of residency in the state of Colorado. The economic interests are very different. The economic drivers are very different. The cultural and social nature of these two areas is very different. The geography is very different. This proposal does not reflect a community of interest, and I can perceive of no rationale for this proposal!

Over the years I have become more aware of the relative lack of representation many people have from their elected officials. When the elected persons from a state or region are way out of proportion to the voting patterns of their electorate, their electorate has their voice reduced. Then, you throw in voting a party line to 'pay back' the money (often from corporate and non-local interests) that helped your election, your (elected official) representation of your constituents is even more diluted. It has become much more apparent to me of late that my voice is significantly reduced because of where I live and the pretty bizarre District I vote from/for. I've heard many discussions about ways to help define regions with some commonalities. They all have their points. I participated in the LWV discussions about Amendments Y and Z and further discussions about their implications, definitions that apply, etc. With such a diverse state, meeting the steps/requirements laid out has to be a challenge. When I saw and reviewed the latest map, I felt it was a great effort. Yes, it does seem a bit odd for Summit County to be split and I have some interest there, too. BUT, it seems to be a FAR BETTER, more level playing ground than we have experienced for years. We have to look at those we have elected at all levels, even with some R leaning boundaries in later years and realize that any map that favors that voting minority substantially isn't fair to all Coloradoans.

Hi All, My name is Michael Provenza and I own a home in Fort Collins, Colorado (zip 80525). After viewing the latest district map drawing I would like to lend my comment. Roping Fort Collins into a district shared with Weld, Cheyenne, and Yuma counties is baffling and absolutely wrong. It moves Fort Collins into a district separate from the county which it resides. Under any measurement these are not cohesive ideological communities or constituencies. These are different communities with different priorities. A representative would be unable to truly represent their people for which they are committed in any measured, balanced, or fair capacity. Fort Collins is home to several high tech companies, a growing university, municipal broadband, and a robust public transportation system for its citizen. The communities to the east and south rely almost entirely on agriculture and energy extraction. These are not communities with the same problems. City problems are very different from rural agriculture and extractive energy community needs. Fort Collins is typically in favor of safer more expansive energy industry regulation. The opposite is true for communities to the east and south. This ideological dichotomy also extends to all things water. The handling and messaging of Covid related problems has also been effectively opposite. Each community deserves to have their perspective represented independent of the other. Do the right thing and redraw the map in a sane way. Add Fort Collins back to the district in which Larimer County was drawn. Thank you and feel free to reach out, Michael

I live in Fort Collins and would like Fort Collins to NOT join Weld County. In Fort Collins, we are committed to ecosystem justice, equity, and urban issues such as homelessness and air quality. We should not be lumped in with people who have primarily rural interests. The interests of people in Fort Collins align more with the interests of those in Boulder County- we are both progressive university towns that benefit from tourism. Please do not make Fort Collins part of Weld Co.

I live in Fort Collins and am absolutely, adamantly, unequivocally opposed to the little carve out putting Fort Collins into the 4th District!!! We finally got a representative (Neguse) who represents our interests here. He supports everything we ask of him. To throw us in with the secessionist, anti-vax, climate change denying Eastern Plains, robs us of fair representation. Ken Buck, and his ilk, are hostile to everything we care about and will not represent our interests/views one iota. This would be cruel and inhumane. Don't carve us out to take the fall for some false sense of balance ( the 4th is +15 R(eality deniers)!! ). You are trying to make it so each group/region has a say in who represents them... don't take ours away from us! Put Windsor back into the 4th and leave us in the 2nd. Thank you.

What changed? Your first redistricting map must have been decided upon for a reason. Did it become too political? This should be about what is best for our community and county. Now this change has physically divided Summit County!? Please do not divide our county. I live on one side of Highway 9 represented by one district and my friends across the highway represented by another? Does this make any sense? Summit County is more aligned with Eagle with our shared ski and tourism industry. We are not a college town or a big urban center. We have the same issues of forest & fire mitigation, snow, ice and avalanche control as Eagle and the western slope. We have the challenges of high costs of living with housing shortages for seasonal workers. I am asking this redistricting Commission how you came up with your initial plan that obviously made sense or you would not have recommended to us? Now splitting Summit County to tag on to the front range makes no sense. We have already experienced the Boulder effect! I urge you to reconsider and go with your original plan. Thank you.