By Michael A. Hancock | Commentary, Substack
Why Power to the People Begins in Highlands Ranch, Not Douglas County
Every political initiative has its preferred myth. In Washington, it’s bipartisanship. In Denver, it’s innovation. And now in Douglas County, it’s “home rule”—the promise that by voting yes, we can govern ourselves again. A simple idea, wrapped in stirring language. But myths become dangerous when they’re mistaken for plans.
In recent weeks, a trio of county commissioners rushed a measure onto the June 24 special election ballot, asking voters to authorize the creation of a county home rule charter. The pitch is familiar: local control, freedom from State mandates, the chance to chart our own course. But there’s a problem—not with the idea of home rule itself, but how it’s being used. The effort in Douglas County seems less about liberty than about optics. It promises a revolution but can only deliver a shrug.
Let’s be clear: County home rule under Article XIV of the Colorado Constitution does not give Douglas County what many think it does. It does not allow counties to override state law on matters of statewide concern—things like firearms regulation, housing mandates, or public health orders. The legal ceiling is low: counties may restructure their governing apparatus, adjust administrative processes, maybe tweak taxation, but they remain subordinate to state law on most contested policy grounds.
So what exactly are citizens being asked to vote for?
The commissioners haven’t published a draft charter. No defined reforms. No clear gains. Just a vague assertion that Douglas County must “act now” or lose its sovereignty to a meddling legislature in Denver. But sovereignty is not endowed by slogans. It’s earned through sound governance and serious legal design. And this rushed, poorly scoped initiative lacks both.
More to the point, it misfires on its own goal. If voters want real, local power—not just procedural window dressing—then the answer isn’t a county charter. It’s a city charter. And there is one place in Douglas County where that idea actually makes sense.
That place is Highlands Ranch.
With over 100,000 residents, Highlands Ranch is the largest unincorporated community in Colorado, larger than many cities. It already operates like a municipality, with a major metro district, numerous service and special districts, a massive HOA infrastructure, and a defined civic identity. But it lacks one essential thing: legal autonomy. It has no city council, no mayor, and no real power to legislate or challenge state mandates. Every decision flows through the county.
But under municipal home rule, granted by Article XX of the Colorado Constitution, Highlands Ranch could unlock the very powers the county is now pretending to offer: control over zoning and land use, local gun ordinances (within reason), the ability to tailor taxation and services, even the legal standing to push back against certain state directives.
This would not be symbolic. It would be real self-government. And—unlike the county-wide effort—it wouldn’t require convincing the entire electorate of Douglas County to move in one direction. It would require one community, one charter, one clear-eyed vision for accountable local rule.
In fact, a Highlands Ranch incorporation would serve as a model for other unincorporated communities in Colorado struggling with the same tension: growing complexity and no civic representation. It would increase the percentage of Douglas County citizens governed by home rule from 47% to 65%. Instead of pulling the entire county into a legal gray zone, we could let Highlands Ranch lead—voluntarily, democratically, and effectively.
This is not an anti-county argument. Douglas County provides many services well. But we need to stop confusing defensive politics with constructive governance. The current charter campaign is a political maneuver cloaked in populist rhetoric. It asks citizens to vote for an empty process and trust the same officials who bypassed public engagement to fill in the blanks later.
Democracy doesn’t begin with a ballot—it starts with honesty. And we are not being honest about what county home rule can do, or what it will cost. The $500,000 price tag for the special election is only the beginning. Legal challenges, bureaucratic confusion, and political fragmentation will follow. All for what? A theoretical freedom?
Instead, let’s do something real.
Let Highlands Ranch explore home rule the right way: through public meetings, charter commissions, structural transparency, and a legal path that delivers authority, not as rebellion but as responsibility.
Power to the people doesn’t begin with shouting “local control.” It starts by knowing what you’re controlling—and why. In that clarity, Highlands Ranch, not Douglas County, holds the charter.
Hancock also publishes on Substack. You can check out more of his work here.
Michael A. Hancock is a retired high-tech executive, visionary, musician, and composer, exploring diverse interests—from religion and arts to politics and philosophy—offering thoughtful insights on the intersections of culture, innovation, and society.
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