County of Boulder 1A – Increase Sheriff’s Term Limit to Four Terms

In 2005 county voters approved extending the term limits from 2 terms to 3 for the sheriff, clerk and recorder, treasurer, assessor, coroner, and surveyor. In 2009 the voters barely approved a similar term-limit extension for the district attorney. The county commissioners considered asking voters to exempt the sheriff from term limits but believed that extending the limit to four terms was more likely to receive voters’ approval.

Recommendation: YES

As regular readers of these posts know, I’m not a fan of term limits for most elected officials. Term limits force out both good and bad officials; I like at least having the option of keeping the good officials in.

We voters in Boulder County aren’t shy about exercising term limits via the ballot box. Witness the county clerk and recorder race in 2006 (incumbent lost in the primary) and the officially nonpartisan Longmont mayor and city council - Ward 2 races in 2009.


County Question 1A: (Approved Ballot Language)

[Modification of term limits for the office of the Boulder County Sheriff]

Shall the term limits imposed by state law and in article XVIII, section 11, of the Colorado Constitution on the office of Sheriff of Boulder County, be modified so as to permit an elected officeholder in that office to seek and, if the voters of Boulder County choose to re‐elect that person to a fourth term in office, to serve a fourth consecutive term?
‐ Yes
‐ No


See Resolution No. 2011-97 to refer 1A to the voters.
http://www.bouldercounty.org/find/library/government/2011-97sheriffterms.pdf