What I've Done...so far
My first term as the very first African-American Commissioner in Arapahoe County and now the first African-American Chair of the Board has been successful by every metric! Below are just a few of the things I've been a part of.
The Budget
As a candidate I ran on removing the revenue cap of TABOR in Arapahoe County. At the time 51 of Colorado's 64 counties had gone to the ballot to remove the cap. Once I was elected, we began the work to do just that. In 2024 I was the co-chair of the 1A ballot initiative and we won with 71% of the vote! Our residents' trust in us has put us in a better budgetary position during this uncertain federal governmental period. So many people don't realize the effect federal dollars have on local government. We have been able to stave off some of the pain that other counties are experiencing because of our efforts. The 1A ballot measure was a promise made and a promise KEPT.
A Community Impact Story
One of the first issues I heard about from constituents was how many abandoned, wrecked, and unregistered vehicles were collecting on the streets of the district. I asked people in the know what had been done about the problem in the past. I was told "There's nothing you can do about that." It took over a year to do the work, but in my first term as a commissioner I spearheaded a first of its kind county wide parking ordinance. The ordinance went into effect on January 1, 2025. With the collaboration of the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department, our County Attorneys office, the Commissioners office and Public Works and Development, we did it! I love this work!
Justice and Public Safety
I was honored to serve on the county's subcommittee that focuses on racial equity in the criminal justice system as a community member. Now, I'm the chair of the subcommittee and I'm the vice-chair of Arapahoe County's Justice Coordinating Committee. I also serve on NACo's Justice and Public Safety steering committee. Locally, we have collaborated with community partners, the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Department and Colorado's 18th Judicial District to have special warrant clearing days to help people with low-level, non-violent warrants resolve them without being arrested on the spot. Often times, someone needs to reschedule a court date or set up a payment plan. These are things that can be done at a warrant clearing event without putting unnecessary strain on an already overburdoned system.
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Most recently, the Board of County Commissioners invested $6 million in building three new courtrooms at The Arapahoe County Justice Center. These courtrooms are an example of the proactive, forward thinking of the county in that we were presented with a challenge, and we solved it to strengthen access to justice, improve efficiency, and serve our residents better now, and in the future.
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Addressing Homelessness
The homeless crisis is real. It is not unheard of to be employed full-time yet have no place to call home.
Arapahoe County is a leader in housing policy. When the state proposed radical changes to how cities and counties support their residents in the housing arena, Arapahoe County created and conducted a tour for the state legislature and other stakeholders of housing across the county. We were able to show how land use decisions are made locally. Where housing is placed, the type of housing--multi-family, single family, affordable, attainable, should be a local decision. We know our residents best.
I'm proud to share that the Board of County Commissioners recently approved a one time $4 million investment, and $1 million annually to be used to fund affordable housing projects within the county to help reduce homelessness and housing insecurity.
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Public Health
In 2023 Arapahoe County Public Health opened its doors for the first time. Tri-County Health closed, forcing the county to stand up its own public health department. I was honored to be at the beginning of this new era. Since then we have completed our Community Health Assessment (CHA) and now are in the process of creating a five year plan for the health and welfare of Arapahoe County residents.
Veterans' Issues
As the daughter of a veteran, the spouse of a veteran, and a veteran myself, I understand how crucial it is to make sure our service members have the resources, health care, and support they need once they are home from the battlefield. As a commissioner we support our two veterans services offices and the military community to include Buckley Space Force Base. I'm proud to say that in 2025 our Veterans Services Offices helped 930 veterans. Through county submissions we were able to secure $14.7 million for them! I've been able to connect on the national level for veterans issues by serving on NACo's Veterans and Military Services Advisory Council.
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