On July 16, Larimer
County commissioners, Glenn Gibson, Kathay Rennels and Tom Bender listened
to a group of citizens who had collected 9,500 signatures of voters who
wished to have the opportunity to vote on the question of increasing the
number of commissioners from three to five.
Stacks of signed, notarized petitions were placed in front of the
commissioners, and representatives of the group spoke of the advantages to
citizens of having a five-member board.
Commissioners Rennels and Bender commented that the democratic process
works and that the Citizens for 5 Commissioners group should be commended.
Though neither was in favor of the initiative, Rennels said that the
voters deserved the opportunity to decide. "The question should be asked,"
she said.
Commissioner Rennels motioned to have the county's legal department draft
the ballot language. Bender voted yes, Gibson, no.
As a member of the Citizens for 5 Commissioners Committee, I was elated,
but cautiously so. A small group of us met outside the courthouse afterward
and discussed our options.
We had enough signatures to put the initiative on the November ballot,
but, with the commissioners' decision to draft ballot language, do we submit
to the county clerk or trust the commissioners' actions?
We decided not to submit, and in a clear, concise press release dated
July 19, explained that we would "spare the elections office the time and
expense of validating the signatures ... putting extra pressure on county
staff as they prepare for the approaching August primaries." We truly tried
to take the high road.
We trusted commissioners Rennels and Bender that they would follow
through on their words and actions, approving the ballot language and
referring the measure to the November ballot. How naïve we were!
And how blatantly devious Rennels and Bender are.
On Aug. 6, the two of them did an about-face.
We and the 9,500 Larimer County voters who signed the petition were the
victims of two of the most corrupt, dishonest and irresponsible elected
officials anywhere.
Bender, as usual, justified his opposition by distorting facts and
turning logic on its head.
Rennels really took the low road, saying we didn't turn the petitions in,
when she knew exactly why we didn't turn them in.
We were under the impression we did not need to turn them in, thus saving
the county time and money.
Speaking of money, the cost of adding two commissioners to the board
comes to approximately $200,000 on the high side.
That equates to less than one tenth of 1 percent, or less than one
thousandth of the $212 million county budget.
The commissioners had no legitimate argument to deny the referral.
Indeed, 9,500 voters mandated that it be put on the ballot and the
commissioners ignored the voters, as they have in the past.
In 1997, the voters approved $12 million to renovate the courthouse. They
are now getting a $27 million new courthouse with an extra $15 million that
was not approved by you and I. Where did the money come from?
My apologies to the 9,500 voters who signed our petition.
We played right into their hands and let you down. We were too trusting
of the three people we had always known we could not trust.
If you are one of those who signed, or would like to have signed, perhaps
you'd be willing to sign two recall petitions, one for Bender and one for
Gibson.
All you have to do to rid yourselves of Rennels is vote against her in
the November election.
Bruce Joitel lives in Wellington.
Originally published in the Coloradoan, Monday, August 12, 2026