In 2014 our coroner’s race was the county’s most competitive primary election. The incumbent prevailed in the primary, had no opponent in the general election and in 2018 was reelected unopposed for a third term. Now the coroner and county commissioners are asking for the coroner to be allowed to run for 5 terms rather than the current 3.
All elected Boulder County officials serve for 4-year terms and are subject to limits on the consecutive terms they may serve. Terms are considered consecutive unless they are at least four years apart.
Judges have said that an elected official is also allowed to fill out the remainder of a term of his or her predecessor. Cindy Domenico, via a Democratic Party vacancy committee election, finished out the first half of Tom Mayer’s commissioner term after his death in June 2007, was elected in Nov 2008 to fill the two final years of Mayer’s term and then was reelected to full terms in 2010 and 2014.
Current term limits for county offices are listed below along with the applicable ballot measure and its year.
2 terms - county commissioners
1994 Amendment 17
3 terms - treasurer, assessor, surveyor and coroner
2005 Question 1B
3 terms – county clerk and recorder
2005 Question 1D
5 terms - sheriff
2017 Question 1B
3 terms - district attorney (DA is a state office but the Judicial District 20 boundaries are identical to the Boulder County boundaries so our DA is often considered a county office.)
2009 Question 1D
The two home-rule counties of Weld and Pitkin and the two city-counties of Denver and Broomfield no longer elect a coroner, surveyor or treasurer, but the CO constitution specifies election of these positions for statutory counties such as Boulder County. For Boulder to follow the example of home-rule counties, the state electorate must approve a constitutional change or the county electorate must approve Boulder County becoming a home-rule county.
Recommendation: YES/FOR
As regular readers of this ballot issues blog know, I am not a fan of term limits except for executive officers, such as president or governor, which appoint judges.
For these term-limit extension questions, the electorate often considers the person in the office rather than the position. The popular sheriff easily got term limits extended to 5 terms. The coroner may have a harder time getting a term-limit extension due to issues raised during the contentious 2014 coroner primary election.
Perhaps in the future the electorate will have the opportunity to vote to no longer elect coroners.
Website for the Yes Side
No known website – Info on a supporters’ website appreciated.
Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opponents’ website appreciated.
Approved Ballot Language
Boulder County Question 1A
(Coroner Term Limit Extension to Five Terms)
Shall the term limits for the office of Coroner of Boulder County, as imposed by state law and in Article XVIII, Section 11, of the Colorado Constitution and later modified by the voters of the County to authorize three consecutive terms, be further modified to permit an elected officeholder in that office to seek and, if elected, serve a maximum of five consecutive terms?
Yes/For _____
No/Against _____
Resolution 2019-75 referring Ballot Question 1A to the voters
https://assets.bouldercounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-75-resolutions-describing-ballot-proposal.pdf
All elected Boulder County officials serve for 4-year terms and are subject to limits on the consecutive terms they may serve. Terms are considered consecutive unless they are at least four years apart.
Judges have said that an elected official is also allowed to fill out the remainder of a term of his or her predecessor. Cindy Domenico, via a Democratic Party vacancy committee election, finished out the first half of Tom Mayer’s commissioner term after his death in June 2007, was elected in Nov 2008 to fill the two final years of Mayer’s term and then was reelected to full terms in 2010 and 2014.
Current term limits for county offices are listed below along with the applicable ballot measure and its year.
2 terms - county commissioners
1994 Amendment 17
3 terms - treasurer, assessor, surveyor and coroner
2005 Question 1B
3 terms – county clerk and recorder
2005 Question 1D
5 terms - sheriff
2017 Question 1B
3 terms - district attorney (DA is a state office but the Judicial District 20 boundaries are identical to the Boulder County boundaries so our DA is often considered a county office.)
2009 Question 1D
The two home-rule counties of Weld and Pitkin and the two city-counties of Denver and Broomfield no longer elect a coroner, surveyor or treasurer, but the CO constitution specifies election of these positions for statutory counties such as Boulder County. For Boulder to follow the example of home-rule counties, the state electorate must approve a constitutional change or the county electorate must approve Boulder County becoming a home-rule county.
Recommendation: YES/FOR
As regular readers of this ballot issues blog know, I am not a fan of term limits except for executive officers, such as president or governor, which appoint judges.
For these term-limit extension questions, the electorate often considers the person in the office rather than the position. The popular sheriff easily got term limits extended to 5 terms. The coroner may have a harder time getting a term-limit extension due to issues raised during the contentious 2014 coroner primary election.
Perhaps in the future the electorate will have the opportunity to vote to no longer elect coroners.
Website for the Yes Side
No known website – Info on a supporters’ website appreciated.
Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opponents’ website appreciated.
Approved Ballot Language
Boulder County Question 1A
(Coroner Term Limit Extension to Five Terms)
Shall the term limits for the office of Coroner of Boulder County, as imposed by state law and in Article XVIII, Section 11, of the Colorado Constitution and later modified by the voters of the County to authorize three consecutive terms, be further modified to permit an elected officeholder in that office to seek and, if elected, serve a maximum of five consecutive terms?
Yes/For _____
No/Against _____
Resolution 2019-75 referring Ballot Question 1A to the voters
https://assets.bouldercounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/2019-75-resolutions-describing-ballot-proposal.pdf
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