BE INVOLVED
There are lots of ways to be involved in state, city and local government, and a democracy is run by those who show up.
Below is some information on how to be involved in how decisions are made and links to learn more.
Register to Vote – Register / update online at https://govotecolorado.gov.
Town Hall Meetings - I co-host informational town hall meetings with other members of the Aurora legislative delegation. Please follow my Facebook page for details on upcoming meetings.
Colorado Legislature – Our state’s legislative session runs from January to May. Coloradans have the right to testify on any bill being debated in committee in the Colorado House or Colorado Senate. You can sign up online to testify in person, remotely, or submit written testimony.
You can track down details about bills and committee hearings at the state legislature’s web site at leg.colorado.gov – you can also listen to live audio feeds of any committee or the entire House or Senate. You can also see live video of the House and Senate when they are in session on the floor at www.coloradochannel.net or on channel 165 on TV.
Arapahoe County – Our 5 elected county commissioners generally meet in public session every Tuesday evening. You can see details here. You can see archived video of past meetings on the county’s Youtube channel.
The county also has an Open Space and Trails Advisory Board that meets monthly to decide how to invest Arapahoe County’s voter-approved sales tax for open space. You can see the board’s schedule here.
You can also attend meetings of the county’s Planning Commission or the Board of Adjustment that makes decisions about zoning.
Arapahoe County has numerous citizen boards and commissions that often have vacancies. Volunteering on one of these boards is a good way to get involved in an issue you care about.
Adams County – Adams County also has a 5 member county commission, which holds public meetings and study sessions on Tuesdays. You can see more about the county’s agenda items here.
More information about Adams County citizen boards and commissions is here.
City of Aurora – Most, but not all, of District 36 is part of the City of Aurora. Aurora’s city council consists of a mayor and 10 council members, 6 of whom represent a particular ward in Aurora and 4 of whom are elected by all voters in the city (at-large).
The city council generally meets every Monday evening at the city building at Alameda & Chambers, and these meetings are open to the public. You can see agendas, minutes and video archives here.
Councilors who represent a specific ward usually hold Ward Town Meetings – you can look up the details here.
Like Adams and Arapahoe Counties, the City of Aurora also has numerous citizen boards and commissions that offer a way to get involved in the city’s decision-making. Find out more here.
Rulemaking Hearings – Even when the state legislature is not in session, many state agencies hold periodic meetings to take input from Coloradans on proposed rules.
Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies maintains many email lists that anyone can sign up for to get updates about rulemakings on whatever subject is interesting to them.
State Boards and Commissions – The Governor’s Office of Boards and Commissions is responsible for seeking candidates for and making appointments to various state committees and commissions, some of which have significant responsibilities. Learn more here.