About
The United States Census takes place every 10 years, most recently in 2020. By law, all counties must review their commissioner district boundaries after each federal census to ensure the districts are as equal in population as possible. Traditionally, this review occurred in the year following the federal census and had to be completed by September 30. However, significant delays in availability of population data from the 2020 Census due to the COVID-19 pandemic made it impossible for counties to conduct this mandated review by the statutory deadline in 2021. House Bill 21-1047 enacted in the 2021 legislative session attempted to correct this issue by making a number of important changes to the county redistricting statute – including the timing of this mandated review. HB 21-1047 changed the timelines to allow for the establishment, revision, or alteration of commissioner districts to be completed by September 30 of the SECOND odd-numbered year following such census, allowing counties until September 30 of 2023 to complete redistricting.
The legislation also revised statutory requirements for county redistricting and includes a new mandate, pursuant to C.R.S. Section 30-10-306(1): “In no event shall there be more than five percent deviation between the most populous and the least populous district in each county, at the time such district boundaries are adopted.” (Emphasis added) Previously, the statute merely stated that the commissioner districts had to be “as nearly equal in population as possible,” but there were no specific numeric requirements.
Pueblo County has acquired data from the Colorado Legislative Council as directed by HB 21-1047 which the County Clerk and Recorder, the County’s Geographic Information Systems staff and a third-party vendor have used to create proposed maps delineating commissioner districts that comply with C.R.S. Section 30-10-306(1). Pueblo County will hold a public hearing on May 16th at 9:00a.m. in the Board of County Commissioner Chambers on the First Floor of the Historic Courthouse, 215 W. 10th Street, to consider the proposed maps and is seeking public comments on the proposals.
The first public hearing of the new commissioner districts took place on June 20, 2023 at 9:00am in the Pueblo Board of County Commissioner Chambers.
The next public hearing is scheduled for July 6, 2023 at 9:00am in the Pueblo Board of County Commissioner Chambers.
The final public hearing and adoption meeting date will be posted on this webpage once the date has been set.
The proposed maps are available for review below or may be reviewed in person at the Citizen Support Office located on the First Floor of the Historic Courthouse, 215 W. 10th Street.
Please submit any comments to [email protected] or deliver them to the Citizen Support Office Citizen Support Office, ATTN: REDISTRICTING located on the First Floor of the Historic Courthouse, 215 W. 10th Street prior to the final hearing