RIO GRANDE COUNTY – Rio Grande County commissioners opened their first meeting of 2025 on Jan. 8 and heard from people unhappy with the county employing people from out of the state – specifically the county attorney and county public health director.
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RIO GRANDE COUNTY – Rio Grande County commissioners opened their first meeting of 2025 on Jan. 8 and heard from people unhappy with the county employing people from out of the state – specifically the county attorney and county public health director.
Ronald Christiansen said that Rio Grande County Attorney Nancy Lake and Rio Grande County Public Health Department Director Dr. Kolawole Bankole should not be allowed to live out of state while holding a position for Rio Grande County.
“My concern is that our tax dollars are being spent out of state, county through employee salaries. I was recently made aware about Rio Grande County Attorney and Doctor representing Rio Grande County Public Health residing not only outside of Rio Grande County but outside of the state of Colorado,” Christiansen said.
Christiansen pointed out that the Rio Grande County Board of Commissioners recently voted to renew the county attorney contract for another year despite knowing that Lake resides in Oklahoma.
“Upon hearing this, I did some research and the county attorney’s registered address is Oklahoma. How many of you work in one state and live in another? I’ll answer that and it is very few,” he said.
Christiansen said that both Dr. Bankole and Lake attend regular meetings via Zoom but that both reside out of state.
“It is not a secret and is openly talked about,” said Christiansen. “I was also made aware that there has been interest in the attorney position by local attorneys, however, the other attorneys were not even considered nor was there a job opening posted.
“I am concerned that the elected politicians in this county are more worried about maintaining the status quo than holding individuals in these positions accountable.”
County resident Sheila Sanders also voiced her concern during the public comment period.
“We need to keep our money in this county. People want politicians that are for the local people,” she said.
Commissioners thanked the public for their time and moved on to the regular agenda. Generally, governing bodies do not address what is brought up during the public comment period of the regular meeting at that time. It can be brought back for discussion at a subsequent meeting.