Daniel: The state’s mandates, your money—and why counties are saying “Enough”

By Bobbie Daniel | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice

Imagine walking into a restaurant, and before you even look at the menu, someone else orders for the whole table. They choose the most expensive items, add dessert, and go for top-shelf drinks—and when the check comes, they quietly slide it over to you. 

That, in a nutshell, is what the State of Colorado is doing to counties. 

Every year, new laws and regulations roll out of the Capitol with noble names and lofty goals. But when it comes time to pay for them, the state shrugs and walks away—leaving counties, and local taxpayers, to foot the bill. It’s called an unfunded mandate, and it’s become one of the biggest threats to responsible government in Colorado. 

In Mesa County, we’ve always believed in balancing our books and protecting the taxpayer. We’ve rebuilt reserves, cut waste, and returned tens of millions of dollars back to the people under TABOR. Just last year, we lowered our mill levy when property taxes soared—because when families are tightening their belts, government should too. 

But even the most fiscally disciplined county can’t keep up with a moving target. And that’s what state mandates have become—a growing list of one-size-fits-all requirements handed down without funding, flexibility, or regard for local realities. 

Take Rule 31, the state’s new landfill methane rule. Mesa County already complies with rigorous federal standards. Yet under this new mandate, we’d be required to spend $9 million upfront and another $1 million annually to “fix” a problem we’ve already solved. We’d call that wasteful. The state calls it compliance. 

And it doesn’t stop there. New building codes. Data reporting systems. Cybersecurity upgrades. Energy benchmarking. Wildfire zoning mandates. Each comes with its own price tag—and counties are expected to pick up the tab with staff, time, and funding we simply don’t have. 

In total, we’ve identified nearly $10 million in unfunded mandates every year in Mesa County alone. Across Colorado’s 64 counties, the estimated total exceeds $360 million. 

That’s money not going toward plowing snow, paving roads, or protecting public safety. It’s money siphoned away from the services our residents rely on—all because someone in Denver had a nice idea but no plan to pay for it. 

Now, I believe in good government. I believe in collaboration. And I believe many lawmakers genuinely want to do the right thing. But good ideas must be grounded in reality. If you pass a law, you ought to have the decency—and the dollars—to fund it. Otherwise, you’re not solving the problem—you’re shifting the burden.

That’s why Mesa County is taking a stand. In a public hearing this week, we voted to send a formal letter to the Governor and legislative leadership notifying them that we will treat unfunded mandates as optional under Colorado law unless they come with adequate resources. 

C.R.S. § 29-1-304.5 gives counties the legal right to do just that. It’s a check and balance written into state statute for a reason: to prevent exactly the kind of budget whiplash counties are experiencing now. 

This is about principle. And the principle is simple: If the state mandates it, the state should fund it. If it won’t, counties must have the right to say “not yet” until the resources are there. 

We’re not doing this in isolation. Counties across Colorado are facing the same pressure—and we’re inviting them to join us in calling for a better process. One that brings counties into the conversation before laws are passed. One that produces honest fiscal notes reflecting real implementation costs. One that respects the fact that the people closest to the problem are often the ones best equipped to solve it. 

Somewhere along the way, we lost sight of a basic truth: government works best when it’s closest to the people. In local government, when something breaks, we hear about it—not months later, but that afternoon at the grocery store. 

So here’s the deal: we’re looking for fairness. We want to be partners with the state—not treated like piggy banks. If we work together, we can get this right. 

Let’s fix what’s broken and restore the balance that makes self-government work. 

Because when we respect local taxpayers, we strengthen every community. And when we stand up together, we’re not just protecting county budgets—we’re protecting Colorado’s future.

Bobbie Daniel is the Mesa County Commissioner for District 2 in Western Colorado. Raised in Palisade and born to a hairdresser and coal miner, she brings a working-class perspective shaped by small business ownership, public service through AmeriCorps and decades of community involvement. Daniel has served on numerous local boards and advocates for local solutions, individual liberties and policies that strengthen families and small businesses. She lives in Grand Junction with her husband and their four children.

Editor’s note: Opinions expressed in commentary pieces are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the management of the Rocky Mountain Voice, but even so we support the constitutional right of the author to express those opinions.