Douglas County Is Changing. The Choice Is How We Lead.
Colorado Politics recently published its comparison of the candidates for Douglas County Commissioner District 1.
Because when you put our answers side by side, voters can see an important choice about the future of Douglas County.
Some of the words may sound similar. The records behind them are not.
Listening shouldn’t be a campaign-season promise
My opponent told Colorado Politics that one of his first priorities would be restoring general public comment at Board of County Commissioners meetings.
I’m glad he agrees.
I’ve been calling for exactly that since January, when the current commissioners eliminated general public comment from their business meetings.
And restoring public comment is only the beginning.
My good-government plan includes evening town halls, open office hours, earlier resident involvement in major decisions, clearer explanations of votes and expenditures, and stronger expectations around ethics and conflicts of interest.
Elected officials shouldn't listen only when they like what they hear. It’s part of the job.
I see our changing county differently. Whether you’ve lived here for thirty years or moved here thirty days ago, you’re my neighbor. And if I’m elected, I’ll work for you.
Growth requires planning, not nostalgia
My opponent talks about preserving the Douglas County he remembers and keeping it the “North Star in a state that has lost its way.”
I believe Douglas County is a great place to live, too.
But governing isn’t about preserving a snapshot of the past. Douglas County is growing and changing. The question is whether we manage that growth responsibly.
That means ensuring water, roads, wildfire mitigation, emergency services, and other infrastructure can keep pace. It means recognizing that what works near major transportation corridors may not work in Franktown or other rural communities. It also means involving residents before major decisions are already made.
Growth is coming. Good leadership plans for it.
Data centers show the difference
My opponent now says data centers should protect neighboring property owners, conserve water and avoid shifting infrastructure costs onto residents.
We agree on those concerns. But I’ve actually proposed a process to address them.
Months ago, I called for a temporary pause on new large-scale data centers in unincorporated Douglas County while we develop a comprehensive policy. That policy should examine water, electricity, emergency services, noise, air quality, infrastructure, fiscal impacts, and community benefit before approving major projects.
I’ve also questioned whether taxpayers are receiving enough in return when the county offers substantial financial incentives to projects that create relatively few permanent jobs.
That isn’t anti-business. It’s responsible government.
Businesses deserve predictable rules. Residents deserve protection. Taxpayers deserve to know what they’re getting in return.
Experience matters. So does what you do with it.
My opponent emphasizes his private-sector experience, and I respect private-sector experience. I’m a small-business owner myself.
But experience should be examined, not simply invoked.
On his campaign website, my opponent highlights leading 32 employees through a plant closure and managing the outsourcing of production lines as an example of his leadership. Those may have been difficult business decisions. But they also reveal an important difference in how we think about the job we’re seeking.
A county commissioner should be working to create and retain good jobs in Douglas County, strengthen our local economy, support small businesses, and make this a place where employers and workers can succeed.
County government also isn’t a corporation. The goal isn’t simply to cut costs or maximize a bottom line.
Commissioners steward public dollars while balancing public safety, infrastructure, economic development, open space, human services, water, and the long-term needs of a growing county. Those decisions require fiscal discipline, but they also require collaboration, judgment, and an understanding of how public decisions affect people.
My career has required me to manage budgets, lead organizations, build strategy, work across sectors and communicate with communities whose interests don’t always align. I’ve worked in higher education, nonprofits, and the public sector, and I own a small business.
And I’ve learned that good leadership isn’t about walking into the room assuming you already have the answer.
It’s about listening, asking hard questions, examining the evidence, and working toward solutions that strengthen the whole community.
For me, economic development means creating opportunity here—not pointing to outsourcing as the leadership example we should bring to county government.
The choice is about what comes next
Douglas County has elected Republican county commissioners for decades. But this election isn’t about history. It’s about what comes next. And we have seen the current Board of Commissioners are losing appeal with the voters of Douglas County. Afterall, in 2008, 64% of residents surveyed said Douglas County government listened to the people’s voice. By 2025, that had fallen to 48%. Jake Bockenfeld is just more of the same.
I believe we can be fiscally responsible and transparent. We can welcome business and insist that growth benefits our communities. We can respect private property and plan responsibly for infrastructure and water. We can disagree politically and still treat one another like neighbors (not call them locusts).
And we can have elected officials who understand that listening to residents isn’t an inconvenience.
It’s public service. It’s the job.
That’s the kind of commissioner I intend to be.
People before politics. Every time.
