Douglas County Has Outgrown a 3-Member Commission

Written By Irene Bonham

Douglas County is no longer a small county governed best by a three-person board.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 400,000 people now call Douglas County home, making it one of the largest and fastest-growing counties in Colorado. Our communities include suburban neighborhoods, small businesses, rural areas, and rapidly developing corridors, each with different needs and priorities. Yet just three county commissioners are responsible for decisions that affect land use, transportation, infrastructure, public safety, housing, water, and the $600M+ county budget.

The current structure was designed for a much smaller county. It no longer reflects the scale or complexity of Douglas County today.

That is why many residents (including me) support expanding the Board of County Commissioners from three to five members. You can learn more and sign the petition at 3 to 5 DougCo.

Douglas County Has Outgrown a Three-Member Structure

According to the Colorado State Demography Office, Douglas County is now the sixth-largest county in Colorado, with a population exceeding 400,000 residents. That means each commissioner effectively represents well over 130,000 people.

By comparison, several other Colorado counties with large and diverse populations already operate with five-member boards to improve representation and workload balance.

Currently, four Colorado counties have five commissioners: Adams County, Arapahoe County, El Paso County, and Weld County. Importantly, Douglas County’s current population is already larger than both Adams and Arapahoe counties were when they chose to expand their boards. That means peer counties chose to increase representation at smaller population sizes than Douglas County has today.

El Paso County, which is Colorado’s most populous county with more than 750,000 residents, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, already uses a five-commissioner system with district-based representation to better manage scale and geographic diversity.

Colorado law also allows counties with populations above 70,000 to expand from three to five commissioners, recognizing that governance structures should scale with population and complexity.

More Commissioners Can Improve Local Representation and Access

Douglas County includes communities with distinct priorities. Residents in Parker, Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock, Lone Tree, Roxborough, and rural areas often experience growth, transportation, housing, and infrastructure challenges in different ways.

Research in public administration and political science consistently finds that smaller districts and more localized representation improve responsiveness between elected officials and residents. According to studies published in Electoral Studies, constituents in smaller, more geographically focused districts are more likely to report stronger connections to their representatives and greater confidence that local concerns are heard.

Research also indicates that district-based representation can improve “descriptive representation,” meaning governing bodies are more likely to reflect the geographic and community diversity of the areas they serve.

A 2024 study of county government structures in North Carolina found that shifting from at-large elections to district-based elections would increase representation for geographically concentrated communities and improve overall representational balance across county commissions.

In practical terms, this reflects a simple governance principle: as population grows and becomes more geographically diverse, smaller representation units tend to improve accessibility and responsiveness.

A five-member board would reduce the number of constituents each commissioner represents, allowing for more direct engagement and a deeper understanding of local issues.

Research on governing bodies also suggests that moderately larger boards can improve decision-making by broadening the range of perspectives included in deliberation. Studies published in the European Journal of Political Economy find that smaller governing bodies tend to concentrate decision-making power, while larger bodies often increase debate, transparency, and oversight through a wider distribution of viewpoints.

At its current size, three commissioners are responsible for making high-impact decisions affecting more than 400,000 residents. Expanding the board would distribute that responsibility more broadly and create more opportunities for public engagement and oversight.

Representation Also Depends on How Elections Are Structured

The number of commissioners is only part of the equation. The way they are elected also shapes how well they represent the community.

Douglas County currently uses an at-large election system for county commissioners. Commissioners must live in specific districts, but they are elected by voters countywide.

This structure has practical consequences.

First, it increases the scope and cost of campaigning, since candidates must reach voters across the entire county rather than focusing on their specific communities. This can be a barrier for community-based candidates or those without access to large fundraising networks.

Second, at-large systems can make it more difficult for geographically distinct communities to consistently elect candidates who focus primarily on their local priorities, since campaigns must appeal to a countywide electorate.

These concerns are not unique to Douglas County. Across the country, local governments have periodically reviewed at-large systems as populations grow and communities become more geographically diverse.

For this reason, many counties use district-based elections, where voters select their commissioner directly from their local area. This structure strengthens accountability by ensuring commissioners are clearly tied to a specific geographic constituency.

District-based systems tend to:

  • Strengthen local accountability

  • Make candidates more accessible to residents

  • Encourage more geographically focused representation

  • Lower barriers to entry for candidates

  • Improve alignment between community needs and policy priorities

Strengthening Trust Through Modern Governance

At its core, this discussion is about ensuring that county government is structured to reflect the size, diversity, and expectations of the community it serves. As Douglas County has grown, the scope and complexity of county decisions have increased. Many residents want a system that increases access to their elected officials and ensures more consistent, localized representation.

Expanding the Board of County Commissioners from three members to five is one way to better align governance with today’s reality. It is a structural update designed to improve responsiveness, accessibility, and accountability in a rapidly growing county.

To learn more or support the effort, visit and sign the petition at 3 to 5 DougCo.

Sources

Irene Bonham
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