Public Comments

I just saw the most recent version of the map that adds Fort Collins to the district that also includes Weld County. Due to our extreme differences in policy preferences, I think this move would be a disaster for both Fort Collins and Weld County. It would dilute the voting power of both communities and leave them both with policies and representatives they despise. Although we are close geographically, we are miles apart in attitudes, lifestyles and concerns. Please redo the map and keep Fort Collins in its current district. We are happy where we are and don’t want to change! Thank you!

I saw the proposed map from Sept 3rd and I am worried. I am a Fort Collins resident and I see that I am being redistricted into CD5 with Northeast Colorado. I think this move would be devastating for Fort Collins residents as we have extremely different communities and issues than the more Agricultural parts of the state. I think this would be needlessly devicive between rural and urban voters and it would keep government form functioning how it is supposed to.

Fort Collins should remain with the rest of Larimer county and not be grouped in with Weld or the eastern plains. The political environment of Fort Collins is mildly progressive, in stark contrast to the eastern plains. While your goal may be to create more balance, you are effectively gerrymandering away our ability to have representation reflecting of our community’s values.

Please put Fort Collins back into Larimer County. I really don't know why you would justify taking the county seat out of a county. As a lifetime resident of Larimer county now residing within Fort Collins city limits, I want to continue to vote for the land that I grew up on. I do not want to vote on the interests of land and people I do not have any connection to. Keep Fort Collins where it belongs: with the rest of Larimer County.

Hello, First off, I genuinely want to thank you for your time and effort in helping with this redistricting effort. I cannot imagine how hard of a task this must be. Looking at this newest congressional map (09.03.21) does raise some very strong concerns and has me scratching my head. I do not see the values, priorities, or challenges of Fort Collins reflected in Douglas, Baca, or any of the other numerous southeastern counties. As I entered this comment page, I see the "Questions to get you started" being offered up, as jumping off points. This newly drawn District 4 satisfies none of these. Fort Collins does not share geographic features with these eastern and southern counties. We do not share public policy concerns. Our communities do not share interests which unite us. Our priorities will be vastly different. Finding a representative that can speak for such a wide ranging district will not be possible, and as a result, several counties, which may otherwise have a voice will be shut out and not represented. From the outside, it seems like the goal was to even out the populations of each district, but that ignores all the purposes of creating districts that will allow communities to elect someone who can speak with their collective voice and address concerns relative to the shared area. The June redistricting was much better at addressing this, and it felt like the Northern Colorado urban communities were collectively represented. I do not want my representation determined by counties I will never come close to visiting, and I don't want my vote likewise shutting them out. I have real, genuine concerns and priorities in my community, and I don't know these communities priorities or issues in the slightest. Thank you for listening. Please, evaluate this further. Every area deserves it's voice.

Thank you for your hard work and for clearly listening to public comment. I very much like you recently shared First Draft Plan. As a bipartisan activist and Colorado resident since 1973, this looks good to me. It pairs our various rural sectors with appropriate urban centers, thus fostering partnership and collaboration. All groupings just fit well; much better than the previous draft.

Why is Fort Collins, the seat of Larimer County, now associated with Weld County? That makes no sense to me, Fort Collins voters have different interests than Weld voters, by and large.

My family resides in Grand County and I see no logical reason why this suposedly "independent" commission continues to want to group us in a district with Boulder County. We are a rural, mountain community and share very few values, concerns, or interests with Boulder, or really any of the Front Range counties. Further, due to the relative population base of Boulder and Larimer Counties, Grand and the other rural counties you've attached to Boulder and Larimer will forever be subject to their will. Voting will become a futile exercise for us. I'm certain one of your previous drafts included a map that had all of the rural mountain and Western Slope Counties grouped together and this is a much more palatable and logical approach. I implore you to reconsider this latest draft and allow Grand County to vote in league with other voters and counties that share similar concerns. Sincerely, Chris Bennett Tabernash, CO

Splitting Larimer county and adding all of suburban and urban Fort Collins to District 4 would have terrible consequences for the people of Fort Collins and the rural citizens of District 4 alike. How could anyone think that someone living in downtown Fort Collins would have the same issues as someone living in rural Baca county (the extreme SE corner of Colorado)? How would anyone think that combining these groups together would result in a representative that could actually represent such massively diverse groups? It makes no sense. Either the people of Lamar and Sterling would be really angry and their concerns largely ignored, or the people of Fort Collins would feel like any concerns that they have are unimportant. It reminds me of the map we had from the 2000's and our district that regularly (with the exception of Betsy Markey) elected very conservative representatives who were mostly about ranching concerns. Fort Collins is a front range city and our concerns should be represented so, just as those of the people on the eastern plains.

Larimer County/Fort Collins should not be incorporated with vastly different counties like Weld. Any representatives elected to these districts would be unrepresentative of their constituents. A Fort Collins legislator wouldn't benefit the rural workers of Weld, and a Weld legislator would be a huge hindrance to the progressive lifestyle of Fort Collins. Please reconsider this map. The June proposal was much better than this. Districts should be drawn up to best represent Coloradoans instead of arbitrarily puttin an equal population in each district.