Bolton elected to head up Colorado state commissioners

RBC I Shawn Bolton, chairman of the Rio Blanco County Board of Commissioners for another week, was recently chosen by the board of Colorado Counties Inc. (CCI), to be its president as of Jan. 1 for a one-year term.
CCI is a non-profit membership association with the purpose of offering assistance to other county commissioners and to encourage counties to work together on common issues.
Bolton was elected to serve as the Western District representative in 2013. The CCI board of directors elected him president-elect, to serve in 2014. He succeeds commissioner Thomas Davidson of Summit County, who represents the Mountain District of counties.
The CCI has 62 of 64 Colorado counties as members, with only Denver and Montrose counties not a part of the group.
“I think my election to this honor is a really good thing for rural Colorado,” Bolton said. “This gives us a stronger voice in state government; there is a certain amount of added respect that goes along with it.
Bolton is a native of Fruita, Colo., having moved to Meeker in 1996. He and his wife, Misty, have three children/stepchildren in his daughter, Dannon, who is a senior at Meeker High School and Misty’s sons, Danny of Grand Junction who runs Bolton Construction, and Nick of Grand Junction who works for his father.
The CCI is governed by a board of directors consisting of eight commissioners from across the state. The group’s focus is on information, education and legislative representation and influence. CCI strives to keep members up to date on issues that directly impact county operations. At the same time, the group works to present a united voice to the Colorado General Assembly and other government and regulatory bodies to help shape the future of the state.
“Greater local involvement in statewide organizations, such as CCI, will offer a positive benefit for representation of all rural Colorado counties, “ Bolton said. “As president, my focus will be to bring CCI to the forefront of representative issues and to increase communication to Colorado counties on legislative issues.
“Along with my fellow commissioners, we are working hard to represent our constituents at the state level and impact legislative issues that will play a major role in shaping the future of our county and the state.”
Bolton became a Rio Blanco County commissioner in 2011, was chosen board chairman for 2012-13, and will yield to new board chairman Jon Hill of Rangely on Jan. 1.
“One of the great things for us in Rio Blanco County is that the CCI is gaining more prestige with the (state) Legislature and in the governor’s office. As a rural county, we sometimes get lost,” Bolton said. “But with the CCI, which wants to deal more closely with the Legislature and governor’s office, each county has only one vote, and there will be a much better chance or the rural counties with fewer people, like Rio Blanco County, to be heard much clearer.
“We will be working closely with the Legislature and the governor, and we will be testifying more before the Legislature as well as talking directly with the governor,” he said. “We will be recommending to both regarding pending legislation and we should have a very strong input into what happens at the capitol.”
CCI meets at least once a month as a board during the legislative session and the CCI steering committee meets at least once a month — so each of the counties is kept up on what is happening, Bolton said.
“I am excited at the opportunities available for Rio Blanco County,” Bolton said. “The state’s counties will be able to take a united position to the Legislature and the governor, and that should make a difference for all of the counties — especially those with smaller populations.”