Mesa County joins bipartisan coalition calling for reform of unfunded state mandates
Mesa County Commissioners announced today that it has formally approved and sent a joint letter to Gov. Jared Polis, Senate President James Coleman, and House Speaker Julie McCluskie, urging immediate action to address the growing burden of unfunded mandates imposed by the State of Colorado on local governments.
The letter draws attention to the growing number of laws and regulations being passed without adequate funding, which ultimately forces counties to divert taxpayer dollars away from essential services such as roads, public safety and public health services.
“Unfunded mandates are hidden taxes,” said Mesa County Commissioner Bobbie Daniel. “When the state requires new programs but doesn’t fund them, local taxpayers end up footing the bill. That’s not fair, and it’s not sustainable.”
In their letter, Mesa County Commissioners outlined specific examples of recent mandates that have resulted in significant uncompensated costs, including:
- SB23-166 & SB24-005: Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code
- HB21-1286: Energy Benchmarking & Building Performance Standards
- HB21-1250: Demographic and Contact Reporting
- HB21-1236: Colorado OIT Compliance
“These mandates require dedicated staff time, system upgrades, and new procedures, all without state funding,” said Mesa County Commissioner Cody Davis. “At some point, counties have to draw a line to protect the local taxpayers who rely on us to be good stewards of their dollars.”
Under Colorado law (C.R.S. § 29-1-304.5), counties are not legally bound to implement new mandates without adequate funding. The letter informs state leaders that Mesa County, along with other participating counties, is prepared to exercise its legal right to treat such mandates as optional if funding is not provided.
“Every dollar we spend complying with unfunded mandates is a dollar we can’t invest in the services our residents value most,” said Mesa County Commissioner JJ Fletcher. “This is about protecting our ability to fund and deliver core services.”
Key excerpts from the letter:
- “These unfunded mandates, issued without the financial support required to implement them, place an unsustainable burden on local governments and the citizens we serve and undermine both fiscal responsibility and the principle of local control.”
- “This is not a symbolic gesture. It is a deliberate and lawful step rooted in statute.”
Mesa County Commissioners emphasized that their goal is collaboration, not conflict, and they are inviting state leaders to participate in a candid conversation about the actual and true costs of these mandates and potential solutions.
“We remain committed to working together on reforms that respect local taxpayers and protect core public services,” said Commissioner Daniel.
Residents can learn more about Mesa County’s Fix It or Fund It initiative at mesacounty.us.
