Why are County Commissioners full time paid positions and not regular citizens like the city councils?

The short answer: Because we, the people of Colorado, said so.

County commissions are unusual beasts – elected by voters, commissioners serve both executive and legislative roles. 

In Larimer County, even though the county has a full-time county manager, the three commissioners help directly run the government and also attend public meetings on behalf of constituents. They also make county regulations themselves.  In Weld County, there are five commissioners, who directly run the government with the assistance of a finance and administration director. And in Boulder County, the three commissioners run the county themselves, with assistance from appointed staff. 

Supporters of this system say the amount of day-to-day work that arises in managing a geographically large area like a county is best handled in partnership between the commissioners and their professional staff. In some smaller counties, like Mineral, the county commissioners consider themselves part-time, and as such only take a part-time salary. 

But the long and short of why comes down to this: Because that’s what the Colorado Constitution says they are.

The city Police Chief is appointed based on skills, but the Larimer County Sheriff is elected based on political activity. Why isn't the sheriff an appointed position?

Thinking about taking a run at Justin Smith's job, are you? There are definitely perks, like driving around a giant S.W.A.T. truck. But winning a public election is no easy feat.  

In all seriousness, both jobs are tough and carry a lot of responsibility. The reason for allowing voters to pick the top-ranking law enforcement official in their county, supporters of the elected-sheriff system say, is that it's an important check on law enforcement. By picking candidates they ideologically support, voters have a say in how much emphasis will be placed on topics such as traffic offenses or drugs. Our current sheriff, Justin Smith, says being directly elected helps keep him accountable to the public he serves, rather than acting as a bureaucrat.

There are two counties in Colorado where the sheriff is appointed, not elected: Broomfield and Denver. In Denver, the sheriff is also the city’s public safety manager. In Broomfield, it’s the police chief who holds that title.

What does the health district do? And why does it need an elected board?

People ask the same thing about me all the time. Which is a little redundant once I answer them. "What do I do? I answer questions." You can see the awkwardness in that, right?

Thankfully, no awkwardness in this answer. The health district of Northern Larimer County provides dental, mental health, prescription assistance and health promotions services in Northern Larimer County. It also owns Poudre Valley Hospital, which it leases to University of Colorado Health.

It is a special tax district, like the school district, Poudre Fire Authority and water district, created by voters in 1960. As such, it is governed by a publicly elected board.