Arapahoe County Commissioner Jeff Baker named Board Chair in 2018

Arapahoe County Commissioner Jeff Baker has been named chair of the 2018 Board of County Commissioners with Commissioners Kathleen Conti serving as Chair Pro Tem and Bill Holen serving as Finance Officer.


Each year, the Commissioners select officers to oversee the Board. The appointments, which were made during the Board’s Jan. 2 public meeting, are effective until the Board’s first meeting in 2019.


Baker, who represents District 3, which includes unincorporated eastern Arapahoe County and portions of Aurora and Centennial, is a long-time County employee who left in 2016 to run for commissioner. He served as Chair Pro Tem in 2017.


“I’m humbled by the confidence my fellow Commissioners have shown in me to serve as chair this year,” said Baker. “I see my primary duty as chair to keep things moving, to conduct meetings as efficiently as possible, yet allow commissioners, staff and citizens to be fully heard and understood. For many people, coming to Littleton to participate in a public hearing about a matter that will impact their livelihood or property, it may well be the only interaction they ever have with government. I want them to feel welcomed and that their message was considered in our decision-making process.”


Baker’s priorities include transportation, criminal justice issues, economic development countywide and the opening of the Unified Metropolitan Forensic Crime Lab, currently under construction in Douglas County.


“Transportation, maintaining and improving our roads and bridge infrastructure is crucial to the economic vitality of our county,” Baker added. “I drive Arapahoe Road every day. I’ve seen the issues with I-225 bottlenecks approaching
I-25. I feel the pain of commuters on I-70 or Quincy Road. I hope to bring some federal dollars – paid by our citizens – back to the county to relieve traffic congestion and improve the safety of pedestrians, bicyclists, equestrians and the driving public.”


Conti, who represents District 1, which includes the communities of Bow Mar, Cherry Hills Village, Columbine Valley, Englewood, Littleton, Sheridan, portions of Centennial and unincorporated north Arapahoe County, was named Chair Pro Tem. She is serving her first term as Commissioner and served as Finance Officer in 2017.


Holen, who is serving his second term representing District 5, was named Finance Officer.

In addition to Baker, Conti and Holen, the remaining members of the Board include Commissioner Nancy Sharpe, who is serving her second term as County Commissioner representing District 2; and Commissioner Nancy Jackson, who is serving her second term, representing District 4.


To learn more about what’s in store for Arapahoe County in 2018, or to find out which commissioner represents you, visit the County’s website at www.arapahoegov.com and click on Government, Board of County Commissioners.

***This article was originally posted at: http://www.arapahoegov.com/civicalerts.aspx?AID=951

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