Submitted Biography
Personal Background – I have lived in Larimer County for over 50 years. Married to Angela. I have three children and two stepchildren. Between all the children I have 11 grandchildren. Education/Work - CSU, College of Business, B.S. Business Administration, Computer Information Systems Concentration. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills. Ability to effectively communicate with customers to determine needs. Electrical Engineering, WAPA. Water Treatment for County Water Districts. IT Director, CSU Colorado State Forest Service. IT Management Systems Administrator, CSU College of Business, manage payroll and budget, supervise and train IT support team. GIS Internship, Electrical Systems Consultants. Businesses: Computer Consultant. Family Farming. Family gas station, mechanic, towing. Civic Involvement - Air Force veteran protecting our Constitutional Rights. Boy Scout Committee Chairman, foster parent, Larimer County Partners. Soccer, baseball, football kids coach.
I am open to looking at the feasibility of doing this.
Water concerns, improve permit process. Live within our means with the budget; avoid tax increases whenever possible. Work on internet services to rural areas. Build relationships with county employees and the community so we can work together well.
My goal as County Commissioner is to communicate with as many people as possible and balance resources. When working for the Colorado State Forest Service I drove 20,000 miles in two months going to every office in the state.
I’m not going to only focus on one issue like transportation. Because Larimer County is not a one issue County. We’re very diverse and we need to address every challenge facing us.
Remove or lower taxes and fees. These affect everyone, especially our lower income community. Remove government real estate restrictions that interfere with affordability.
I am open to looking at other days and times. I would also schedule townhall meetings throughout the county.
The county can make decisions that support the existing outstanding behavioral health services. We need to remove government restrictions that limit the counselors from being able to use all means necessary to help the clients. I would like to look at being proactive by exploring options to minimize the need for behavioral health services.
Increasing water storage during good years so we can supply the water needed during drought years. Work with all water suppliers.
Submitted Biography
Kristin Stephens grew up in southern Colorado and moved to Fort Collins to attend Colorado State University. She raised her family and worked her way through college at the Stone Lion Bookstore, graduating in 1995 with a BA in History. Before serving in public office, she worked at Colorado State University. Kristin volunteered in the community at the Mother’s Center, Meals on Wheels, as well as city and county boards and commissions. In 2015, Kristin was elected to the Fort Collins City Council. In 2019 she was reelected and served as Mayor Pro Tem. Her work championed the city’s Broadband plan and Income Qualified Utility Rates. In 2020, Kristin was elected as a Larimer County Commissioner. As a Commissioner, she works on transportation, community justice, and affordable housing. She was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Regional Air Quality Commission.
Biografía Enviada
Kristin Stephens creció en el sur de Colorado y se mudó a Fort Collins para asistir a la Universidad Estatal de Colorado. Crió a su familia y pago por sus estudios con su trabajo en la librería Stone Lion. Se graduó en 1995 con su licenciatura en Historia. Antes de ocupar cargos públicos, trabajó en la Universidad Estatal de Colorado. Kristin trabajó como voluntaria en la comunidad en Mother's Center, Meals on Wheels, así como en juntas y comisiones de la ciudad y el condado. En 2015, Kristin fue elegida miembro del Concejo Municipal de Fort Collins. En 2019 fue reelegida y se desempeñó como alcaldesa interina. Su trabajo defendió el plan de banda ancha de la ciudad y las tarifas de servicios públicos calificadas según ingresos. En 2020, Kristin fue elegida comisionada del condado de Larimer. Como comisionada, trabaja en transporte,, justicia comunitaria y vivienda asequible. Fue nombrada por el Gobernador para formar parte de la Comisión Regional de Calidad del Aire.
Campaign Phone
9705817580
I am not opposed to the idea of expansion, but adding two commissioners would increase costs to the community requiring salaries, office space, and support staff. Because property taxes have recently been capped, the County would likely need to reduce services to accommodate these additional costs. So far, I have not heard from our residents to justify this change.
I will continue and expand on the work I’ve done for the last four years. Our board has appointed an Agricultural Specialist to coordinate with farmers and ranchers about our local markets and soil health. We have also used American Rescue Plan funds to expand countywide access to high speed broadband internet. I will work on agricultural programming,including expanding the mental health resources available to rural residents. Lastly, it’s crucial that we continue mitigation work to prevent the wildfires that devastate our mountain towns.
This is one of the most important issues we face in Northern Colorado. This year I was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Middle-Income Housing Authority where I work on workforce and middle housing across the state. I have also testified at the capitol in support of housing bills including rent stabilization for mobile home parks.
The Board has used American Rescue Plan funding to support a youth shelter in
Loveland and a 24/7 campus shelter in Fort Collins. We also funded a health clinic
at the Murphy Center, an eviction protection program, and affordable housing in Estes Park, Loveland and Fort Collins. If re-elected I will continue working for solutions to our housing crisis.
Tuesday mornings meetings make it difficult for our residents to participate. The benefit is that we can have televised meetings because FCTV is not filming City Council meetings at this time. Our land use hearings affect many people, so they are held on Monday, and sometimes
Wednesday nights, so that more folks can attend.
I hold Listening Sessions and go into the community to meet with residents to hear their concerns. Lately, I have held online Community Conversations so that those who live far from the county seat or who have mobility issues can attend.
The residents of Larimer County who voted for the Behavioral Health tax have
ensured the stability of behavioral health services in our community. These funds
are being used to support Behavioral Health across the county and at the
Longview campus. I believe the county’s role is to use this money responsibly to
address mental health issues and substance use disorders.
The county is not a water provider, but we can update our land use code to better integrate land use planning and water resources. We are currently working on a Water Master Plan to address water resources across the county. Larimer County has dozens of water providers including municipalities, ditch companies, and large and small water districts. We want to make sure these water providers are planning for the future including implementing conservation and drought planning. We are also supporting our nonprofit Watershed Coalitions to protect our river health and drinking water sources.