Douglas County Board of Commissioners selects new chairman
The Douglas County Board of Commissioners will have a new chairman in 2026, but not a new face.
Commissioner George Teal was chosen to serve as chairman on Jan. 13 after serving on the board since 2021, according to a news release from Douglas County.
The commissioners switch leadership each year based upon a majority vote. Abe Laydon, who was elected to the board in 2019, was chairman in 2025.
“We honor a tradition of rotating leadership on the Board of Douglas County Commissioners, but we also know it’s always a choice on who will represent us as chairman,” Teal said in the release. “I appreciate the faith and confidence of my colleagues to allow me to serve as chairman of the board this year.”
Teal, Laydon and Kevin Van Winkle make up the entirety of the board — the main policy-making body in the county.
Teal was elected to represent District 2 in 2021, Laydon was elected to represent District 1 in 2019 and Van Winkle was elected to represent District 3 last year.
The switch-up continues with Laydon now serving as the chair of the Metro Area County Commissioners this year. The group includes seven large Denver-area counties representing 3.1 million people, over half the state’s population.
New exhibit tells the story of Leadville’s Irish immigrant community
April Borjon
april.borjon@gazette.com
Updated 5 days ago
At 10,000 feet, winter doesn’t just arrive; it settles into your bones. Snow swallows rooftops. Oxygen thins. In the mines, darkness is constant; above ground, the cold is merciless. If a cough lingers too long or the sun doesn’t shine...
April Borjon
Reporter
With the deadline missed, Bureau of Reclamation plans to move forward on Colorado River operations
Marianne Goodland
marianne-goodland@denvergazette.com
Updated 3 hours ago
Feb. 14 was no Valentine for the seven states of the Colorado River, which failed to come up with an agreement by that deadline on how to manage the dwindling water resource beginning Oct. 1. The U.S. Department of the...
Marianne Goodland
Reporter
A day in the life of the Capitol: Capitol M | Week of Feb. 14, 2026
Marianne Goodland
marianne-goodland@denvergazette.com
Updated 4 days ago
The lighter side of the Capitol, usually. If you were walking around the Capitol on Feb. 12, there was plenty to see and to be amused (or delighted) by. Let’s start with the high school kids from Greeley’s District 6....
Marianne Goodland
Reporter
Denver City Council to consider $24M Motorola contract for emergency services
Deborah Grigsby
deborah.smith@denvergazette.com
Updated 3 days ago
It may be a short work week, but the Denver City Council will still have a robust agenda on Tuesday after Presidents’ Day. For those following Council Bill 26-0125, the Safety and Transparency in Public Authority Act, which proposes to...
Deborah Grigsby
Reporter
Here’s what to know about the Homeland Security shutdown starting this weekend
Deborah Grigsby
deborah.smith@denvergazette.com
Updated 3 days ago
Another shutdown for parts of the federal government is expected this weekend, following an impasse over funding for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security amid a push by Democrats for changes in immigration enforcement. Funding for the federal agency is set to...
Deborah Grigsby
Reporter
Colorado legislators, friends and family pay tribute to late Sen. Faith Winter
Marianne Goodland
marianne-goodland@denvergazette.com
Updated 3 days ago
Colorado legislators on Friday, joined by current and former lawmakers, memorialized the late Sen. Faith Winter, noting her contributions to public policy in transportation, family and medical leave, and climate legislation. Winter died in an auto accident on Nov. 26...
Marianne Goodland
Reporter
Deadlocked: Colorado basin states negotiations collapse
Marianne Goodland
marianne-goodland@denvergazette.com
Updated 1 day ago
With the Feb. 14 deadline looming, the seven states in the Colorado River Basin failed to reach an agreement on how to manage the river after the 2026 operating guidelines expire later this year. John Entsminger, Nevada’s chief negotiator, said...
Marianne Goodland
Reporter
Denver taps Jonathan Norloff as new county assessor
Deborah Grigsby
deborah.smith@denvergazette.com
Updated 3 days ago
Denver named Jonathan Norloff as its new county assessor, according to a statement Thursday by the Department of Finance. Norloff, who has been with the Assessor’s Office since 2012, has served as deputy county assessor since 2024. He replaces former...
Deborah Grigsby
Reporter
Colorado policymakers scramble with prisons on track to exceed capacity
Marianne Goodland
marianne-goodland@denvergazette.com
Updated 5 hours ago
Colorado’s prison system is on track to exceed capacity within the next year, driven by a sharp slowdown in parole releases, staffing shortages and an aging inmate population — all as lawmakers grapple with an $800 million general fund shortfall...
Marianne Goodland
Reporter
Arvada City Council delays vote on public comment changes
Sage Kelley
sage.kelley@denvergazette.com
Updated 3 days ago
For those looking to share public comments with the Arvada City Council, time may be running out. On Feb. 3, the council unanimously voted to postpone a vote on the timing of public comments during regular meetings until April 21...
Sage Kelley
Reporter
PREV
PREVIOUS
PUC to hold public meeting on El Paso County rejection of Power Pathway permits
Colorado regulators plan a public hearing next week on Xcel Energy’s appeal to override El Paso County’s rejection of permits for a major transmission line segment. The hearing renews debate over a statewide renewable energy project that rural residents argue threatens property rights, wildfire safety and local landscapes without delivering benefits to their communities. The […]
Appeals judge asks Colorado Supreme Court to once again clarify magistrate rules
A member of Colorado’s second-highest court urged the state Supreme Court last week to revise confusing language in the rules governing magistrates, less than two weeks after an attempted cleanup of the rules took effect. Magistrates are judicial employees who are not judges but who handle aspects of cases in the trial courts. Litigants may consent […]