As a 40-year radio communications professional and 22-year elected official, I am used to life in the public eye. I have openly shared my life’s ups and downs with an audience for years. Openness – Transparency – is an environment comfortable for me. It nurtures trust and understanding. A nothing-to-hide attitude benefits all and grows confidence in government.

Government works best when it operates in the sunlight of constituent oversight and scrutiny. Available technology makes transparency an easier endeavor than ever before and should be a goal of Weld County Government. Weld County is blessed with healthy finances and available cash resources.

I am a proponent of investing in transparency and oversight, including the audio/video broadcast and archive of all public meetings, a technology that makes county elected officials’ email accessible online for public viewing, and public comment via teleconferencing are just a few of the readily available technologies that would increase transparency. Simple and affordable steps such as these can easily be taken to increase transparency and public interaction.

I am proud to say that I lead the way to making the Weld Board of County Commissioners meetings live-streamed online. The Board now utilizes this streaming system to provide weekly public updates on Wednesday. I am also excited to say that the Board of County Commissioners are now doing weekly Facebook Live sessions. I will continue to advocate for increased communication and town hall-style meetings between the Board of County Commissioners and our constituents.

Leading the efforts in increased transparency and communication is #RightForWeld!