Government, Business Partner to Foster Growth
Published Apr 17, 2008
The district attorney’s office is in the Adams County Government Complex
Colorado’s Metro North Region, composed of portions of four counties and more than a dozen municipalities, has undergone many changes since 1982, when Craig Carlson served his first term as Metro North Chamber of Commerce chairman.
“Now, we’re seeing the results of what the Chamber outlined then as community needs,” says Carlson, a real estate developer who was tapped by fellow chamber members this year to once again lead the organization.
Change, indeed. As one of the fastest-growing regions in the state, Metro North has seen a population explosion that has increased by more than 50 percent in the last 20 years, now topping the half-million mark.
Growing pains come with any population influx of this magnitude. But thanks to strong communication and cooperation among business, area governing officials and state legislators – topped with a can-do attitude – the needs of this expanding community are being addressed.
Infrastructure improvements have been front and center within the Metro North Region and high on the list of the Chamber’s and the community’s priorities, so much so that voters overwhelmingly approved a 20-year, half-cent sales tax extension designed to meet a variety of needs.
The tax will generate $280 million to fund a multitude of transportation improvements, including artery widening and repairs of roads and bridges, as well as the revenue for a $28 million justice center expansion, a $42 million pre-trial holding facility and a $95 million centralized government center that will be known as Adams Crossing. Construction begins in 2008.
“It was a cooperative effort, with all our cities, economic development groups and the Metro North Chamber of Commerce working with a common vision for the betterment of our community,” says Adams County Commission Chairman W.R. “Skip” Fischer of the successful tax passage. “The business community really came together and got behind it. Our biggest thanks go to the citizens, who supported our efforts and saw the needs. You have to believe in yourself, which we did, and then all pull together. We were in lock-step 100 percent.”
Having such a broad sector of local governments with varying needs and interests can prove challenging, especially when putting together a comprehensive legislative agenda and public support of sales tax-funded projects.
“We have strong involvement by government, with participation by city managers and school superintendents,” says Carlson of the Chamber’s Business and Government Affairs Committee. “Our representation is broad because the makeup is from our membership. We seek out our members and get specified input in various areas, including government needs and education.”
“I am very impressed with the Metro North Chamber of Commerce and what they do,” says Colorado State Representative Judy Solano, whose district includes the northern portion of Adams County. “I think they do an excellent job, especially with their leadership program.”
Solano, a retired fifth-grade teacher of 29 years and vice chair of the Colorado House Education Committee, says her focus is on education. Through the Chamber, Solano meets frequently with area superintendents and business leaders. “I have the opportunity to meet with people interested in keeping Adams County economically viable,” she says. As a former small business owner with her husband, Solano knows what business owners need and what is important. “A skilled workforce goes with a strong economic base,” she says.
The Chamber’s success in lobbying legislators to support the needs of this growing community has been elevated with the retention of R.J. Hicks & Associates, a lobbying firm that has seen the voting record reach 70 percent when evaluating chamber-supported legislation.
Education, healthcare, insurance and comprehensive transportation issues, including an important commuter rail project, will continue to be areas of focus on Metro North’s legislative horizon.
Story by Betsy Williams
Photo by Michael W. Bunch
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