What does a County Commissioner do?
“County commissioners are responsible for apportioning and levying taxes, overseeing the organization, and budgeting all county programs.” (Ballotpedia)
County commissioners decide how to impose taxes and what to do with the tax money collected in the county, as well as being the officials in charge of managing county affairs. This budget amounts to about $17,613,570 in 2022. One of the most important roles of county commissioners is the power to buy land in the county and build on that land but not to maintain the operations on that land afterward. For example, the county owns the land that the hospital in Gunnison was built on, but the county commissioners do not have any control over how the hospital runs its affairs.
More information about County Commissioners:
Who are the County Commissioners in Gunnison County?
There are three county commissioners in Gunnison County. Liz Smith fills the seat for District 1 on the South West side of the county, including the west side of Gunnison and Blue Mesa Reservoir. Jonathan Houck fills the seat for District 2 which includes the east side of Gunnison as well as Almont, Pitkin, and Tincup. Finally, Roland Mason currently fills the seat for District 3 which covers the north end of the county, including Crested Butte South, Crested Butte, and Mount Crested Butte. Laura is running for the seat in District 3 and currently lives in Mount Crested Butte.
To view a map of the County Commissioner Districts click here.
To learn more about the current County Commissioners click here.
How are County Commissioners elected?
Every voter in Gunnison County can vote for Laura.
While each commissioner represents a geographic district in the county, elections are county wide. So, even though Laura is running to represent District 3, every voter in Gunnison County can vote for her. The term length for County Commissioners is four years. Elections are staggered, so District 3 is the only open seat this November. Commissioners Liz Smith and Jonathan Houck, representing Districts 1 and 2, will not be up for reelection until November 2024. The primary election for the District 3 seat was June 28th, and the general election is November 8th, so make sure to get out and vote!
For information on how to register to vote in Colorado, click here.