Eagle County commissioners pass resolution opposing Proposition 127 to ban big cat hunting in Colorado

The Eagle County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday passed a handful of resolutions regarding this fall’s ballot.

State law prohibits local governments and elected officials from using public resources to lobby for or against ballot issues, but they can pass resolutions regarding those issues. So the commissioners took a few minutes to pass those resolutions.

One statewide issue the commissioners took on was a resolution opposing Proposition 127, which would essentially ban hunting mountain lions, lynx and bobcats.

The resolution from the three commissioners states that decisions regarding the hunting of those animals should be left to wildlife professionals, not voters. The resolution states that the ballot measure negates regional differences around the state regarding the management of those species.

“We need to support the professionals,” Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney said. She added that while ballot measure supporters “tug at our heartstrings,” wildlife professionals also care about wildlife.

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Commissioner Kathy Chandler-Henry said she’s heard support for opposition to the ballot measure. Chandler-Henry noted that the reintroduction of wolves to the state hasn’t done any good for wildlife professionals, ranchers, or wolves.

Commissioner Matt Scherr noted that while the dual mission of Colorado Parks and Wildlife — managing wildlife for revenue and species preservation — may be a valid criticism, that criticism shouldn’t be addressed at the ballot box.

The other statewide issue is Amendment K, a constitutional amendment adjusting election deadlines.

Eagle County Clerk and Recorder Regina O’Brien told the commissioners that her office currently has an “incredibly short timeline” to produce dozens of ballot styles in both English and Spanish. The amendment adds another week to that deadline.

The amendment will make a “huge difference” for county clerks around the state, O’Brien said.

The commissioners’ other resolutions supported local ballot measures, including:

• The Eagle County Conservation District is sending property owners in the county a separate ballot asking for a .15 mill levy — the smallest it can request. The district currently depends on funding from grants and an annual appropriation from Eagle County The mill levy would collect about $10 for every $1 million in a home’s assessed value, and would raise about $645,000 per year. Scherr called the ballot issue a “remarkable value,” and encouraged voters to support the measure.
• The commissioners also passed a resolution in support of Ballot Issue 6A, a sales tax increase request from the Eagle River Fire Protection District. District Chief Karl Bauer noted that the district — which runs along the Eagle River from the top of Tennessee Pass to Wolcott and excludes Vail — was unable to raise its property tax mill levy last year due to a pledge in a previous ballot issue. The sales tax proposal — which equates to 79 cents on a $100 purchase, excluding groceries and other exempt items — is expected to raise $6.8 million in its first year. The money will be used to maintain current equipment and purchase new equipment. The funds will also be used for staffing improving and building new facilities. Bauer told the commissioners that inflation for equipment purchases has outstripped inflation for consumer goods. Chandler-Henry noted that the district serves about 25,000 people, almost half of Eagle County’s population.