Montrose, are we really ready to hand the County over to the Left?

In Montrose County, conservatives face a troubling crossroads. The ongoing recall effort against Commissioner Scott Mijares threatens to deliver control of the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) to the left. This uncomfortable and frankly angering situation stems directly from Mijares himself. Mijares had a clear path to avert this chaos. He could have stepped down voluntarily, enabling the vacancy committee to appoint a successor. This move would have deflated the recall effort entirely, halting what amounts to a baseless witch hunt. No one claims Mijares is flawless by any stretch. Mijares is brash and condescending, and he would benefit from Dale Carnegie's “How to Win Friends and Influence People”. He might also draw lessons from Ronald Reagan's graceful handling of opponents. Emulating Donald Trump's personality traits is hardly a model to aspire to in local governance. That said, these are personal shortcomings, not policy failures.

...Mijares is brash and condescending, and he would benefit
from Dale Carnegie's “How to Win Friends and Influence People”...

The Recall Committee's chosen candidate, Kirsten Copeland, brings little to the table beyond two decades as a park ranger and a reputation as a staunch environmentalist. Her election could however tip the scales, allowing the Gunnison Outdoor Resource Protection Act (GORP) to gain majority support on the BOCC, while a federal initiative, the passage of GORP would devastate the economic base of Montrose County. Other initiatives within the county may also suffer with such alignment present on the BOCC such as the Shavano Valley Conservation District initiatives currently underway.  Recent actions by Commissioner Sue Hansen (a former Republican who departed the GOP in April 2025), including her alignments with figures like Bennett, Hickenlooper, and Hurd, suggest she has moved away from her former conservative principles and fueled her shift to the ideological left.

..."If personality alone justified recalls, Hansen herself would have faced
ouster long ago for her own snarky interactions with colleagues"...

At its core, this recall distracts from what truly matters in elections: policy, not popularity. Voters choose representatives based on their platforms and visions for the community, not because of interpersonal friction or perceived meanness. If personality alone justified recalls, Hansen herself would have faced ouster long ago for her own snarky interactions with colleagues. Conservatives must pause and scrutinize the recall's origins. Before Mijares even took office, several figures within the community vowed to target him for recall; the motive was simple resentment. Mijares had defeated their preferred candidate in the primary, and personal dislike fueled the entire endeavor. This vendetta has drawn in other disgruntled and disgraced Republicans operating behind the scenes, such as the disgraced former Chair of the Montrose County Republican Party, Ray Langston; former State Senator Don Coram; and Commissioner Sue Hansen. Coram, censured by the local GOP and at least eight counties for his leftist stances and endorsements of Democrats over staunch conservatives like Lauren Boebert, has been actively involved in the recall campaign, as evidenced by his name appearing in campaign documents and his vocal criticisms during public hearings on county issues like solar regulations. Hansen, despite her recent exit from the Republican Party, remains a key driver, leveraging her board position to oppose Mijares at every turn and aligning with the recall's broader push. These figures (not the public face of the committee) are the true architects of this intra-party sabotage, motivated by ideological differences and personal grudges rather than any substantive policy disputes.

...This vendetta has drawn in other disgruntled and disgraced Republicans operating behind the scenes,
such as the disgraced former Chair of the Montrose County Republican Party, Ray Langston; former State Senator Don Coram; and Commissioner Sue Hansen....

The Recall Committee skillfully framed its petition's grievances as undeniable facts. In truth, these are hollow allegations that crumble under scrutiny. Let's examine each claim in turn and reveal the reality.

1. Violation of Colorado's Open Meetings Law: The accusation falls flat. Former County Manager Frank Rodriguez submitted his resignation voluntarily, and the board never formally accepted it under his contract terms. County Attorney Martha Whitmore tendered her resignation several times to Commissioners Mijares and Pond on her own initiative, without any pressure. Crucially, no decisions occurred outside of public meetings, ensuring full compliance with the law.

2. Wasted Taxpayer Dollars: Claims of wasted taxpayer dollars are equally unfounded. The severance payments to Rodriguez ($86,746.50) and Whitmore ($90,648.50) represented exactly six months of their respective salaries, as required by their employment contracts. The full BOCC approved these payouts, and no extra funds went toward backfilling positions or inflated legal costs.

3. The North Campus Project: Regarding the North Campus Project, the outgoing board locked in a $25 million commitment on December 18, 2024. This decision depleted capital improvement funds and necessitated $10 million in debt. Mijares wisely proposed a pause to allow the incoming board to assess the project's massive budgetary implications. The board rejected this prudent motion, but no contract breach resulted from it.

4. Handling of the Public Health Director Position: The handling of the Public Health Director position followed legal protocols. Under Colorado Revised Statute 25-1-508, the County Board of Health bears responsibility for selecting the director. The initial process had bypassed this requirement. As BOCC Chairman, Mijares properly convened the Board of Health, which then conducted a transparent review of candidates and made a lawful appointment. Far from a demotion, this corrected an unfilled vacancy that lacked legal standing.

5. Creating a Toxic Work Environment: Finally, the vague charge of creating a toxic work environment offers no substantiation. Mijares has instead focused on bolstering transparency and accountability within the BOCC. His efforts emphasize fiscal responsibility and rebuilding public trust, which benefit the entire county. The "toxic work environment" that Leslie Quan (the County HR Director and interim County Manager at the time) referenced was not enough for her to tender her full resignation, only from the interim County Manager position. This begs the question: If you remain in a position where you are still reporting to the same people, how toxic is it really?

...This was a calculated and coordinated attempt to get all of us to take our eyes off of what is really important,

preserving the family values that we all grew up with here in Montrose, values that are under attack...

This recall is not about governance or accountability. It is a vendetta driven by bruised egos and ideological opposition from figures like Langston, Coram and Hansen, repackaged as righteous indignation.  This was a calculated and coordinated attempt to get all of us to take our eyes off of what is really important, preserving the family values that we all grew up with here in Montrose, values that are under attack. Montrose County cannot afford to let personality quirks eclipse proven policy leadership. Mijares may not win charm contests, but his platform aligns with conservative values that prioritize fiscal prudence, legal adherence, and community-focused decision-making. Rejecting this recall means safeguarding our county from left-leaning influences and ensuring elections remain contests of ideas, not interpersonal drama. It's time to rally behind policy over pettiness and keep Montrose on a steady, conservative course.  Do you want to ensure the values that you grew up with remain in Montrose, or that the radical socialism takes root and never lets go? 

Montrose, you need to ask yourself are you really ready to hand over the county
that you love to the far left-wing activists over a personality conflict?

Michael J Badagliacco, “MJB”

Michael is the father of five and grandfather of three, United States Air Force Veteran, International Recording Artist, passionate about the United States of America and the founders Genius of the Constitution and Editor-in-Chief, Colorado DOGE Report (coDOGEreport.com).