Weld County's ready to jump into 2023!

On January 3, 2023, Kevin Ross was sworn in as the newest county commissioner representing one of the county’s two At-Large positions. Ross replaces former Commissioner Steve Moreno, who retired after 37 years working for Weld County. Ross, a Weld County native, lives with his wife and two daughters in Eaton.

Ross, who grew up in Eaton, worked on his family’s dryland wheat farm in Wyoming. Upon graduation from Eaton High School, he attended the University of Wyoming where he earned a B.S. in Finance along with minors in Decision Sciences and Marketing.

After completing college, Ross spent several years in the financial sector as a financial advisor. He then started his own insurance agency, which he owned and operated for 17 years. He earned several industry awards, including the National Young Advisor of the Year award. Recently, he has been involved in the Private Equities and Development field and has been in charge of water development projects in northern Colorado. You can read more about Commissioner Ross on the “Meet the Commissioners” page.

In addition to swearing in a new commissioner, re-elected Commissioner Scott James, also took his (second) oath of office on January 2. James, who represents District 2, will continue his work on transportation, air quality and human services.

James was also recently awarded the honor of Commissioner of the Year by his colleagues at the Colorado Counties, Inc. (CCI) winter conference. In nomination letters submitted by county commissioners from across Colorado, James was commended for serving in various leadership capacities, including being the Vice Chair of CCI’s General Government Steering Committee since 2021, overseeing the Upper Front Range Transportation Planning Region as Chairman, and serving as Vice Chairman of the North Front Range Metropolitan Planning Organization.

And one more for the brag page: Also at the CCI conference, Weld County’s own Director of Human Services (DHS), Jamie Ulrich, was honored as one of two DHS Directors of the Year by her peers. Ulrich, who has committed over 20 years to human services through her work at Weld County and with the state, was recognized for cultivating community relationships and her dedication to aligning human service programs across Weld County and the region.

Commissioner Mike Freeman: Department of Finance and Administration, Accounting and Purchasing, Clerk to the Board, the County Attorney, Human Resources and the Treasurer’s Office. Federal Mineral Lease Board; Regional Communications Advisory Board.

Commissioner Perry Buck: Departments of Health, Coroner’s Office, Information Technology, Justice Services, the Office of Emergency Management and Public Safety Communications.  Bright Futures, Emergency Food and Shelter Program Board; Upstate Colorado Economic Development Board; North Front Range Metropolitan Organization - alternate member; Greeley-Weld County Airport Authority; Pretrial Services Advisory Board.

Commissioner Kevin Ross: Department of Public Works, Facilities, Veteran Services and Fleet Services. Greeley-Weld County Airport Authority; Upstate Colorado Economic Development Board; Upper Front Range.

Commissioner Lori Saine: Department of Planning Services, the Oil and Gas Energy Department and the Extension Office. Extension Advisory Council; Island Grove Park Advisory Board.

Commissioner Scott James: Department of Human Services. 911 Emergency Telephone Authority Board; Human Services Advisory Commission; Bright Futures; North Front Range Metropolitan Organization; E-470 Public Highway Authority – non-voting member.

Air Quality: For years, the board of commissioners has proactively participated in state rule-making hearings regarding air quality. In fact, since 2019, the Weld County Board of Commissioners and key staff have attended a meeting with outside attorneys and consultants to discuss volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitric oxides (NOx), methane, ammonia, nitrogen, ozone…in short, air quality. The goal of these discussions is to gather scientifically verified data to contribute to the discussion and policy making to ensure a common-sense approach is considered when phasing in changes that work toward goals in an economically feasible way. By actively participating in the legislative process, the board is hoping its investment in the science of air quality will help to better inform the participants in this project. Anticipated legislation in 2023 will once again require the active participation of the board and county staff to make sure Weld County’s voice is heard and concerns are addressed.

Strategic Plan: In December 2022, the board of commissioners approved a new long-range strategic plan for the county. This plan is built around six priorities: Ensure healthy, safe and livable communities; Balance Growth and Development; Plan for Resilient Infrastructure, Facilities and Resources; Be an Employer of Choice; Provide Excellence, Cost-Effective Service Delivery; and Enhance Accessible Communication, Outreach, and Awareness. Each county department is tasked with identifying projects that will enable them to better support these priorities.

New for 2023 is a series of brief articles examining county government from the national level down to the local level. We will explore what this level of government does and how it impacts you as a resident.