'Act Like Adults, Please': Douglas County Commissioners Bicker During Water Proposal Meeting
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - Tensions rose over water resources in Douglas County at a county commissioners work session on Monday. The bickering between three elected commissioners boiled over enough for a resident to order them to "act like adults."
The commissioners couldn't agree on the purpose of the meeting which devolved into accusations and arguments.
Chairwoman Laura Thomas accused Commissioners Abe Layden and George Teal of trying to remove her as chair.
They denied it right before their vote to do just that for specific meetings involving the controversial water proposal. It calls for pumping water from the San Luis Valley into Douglas County.
Layden and Teal said Thomas couldn't chair those meetings because she had taken a public position opposing the proposal.
She countered saying they made Facebooks advertisements for the group supporting it.
"So for you to say you haven't weighed in on this Abe when you were in those videos makes me wonder what's going on here?" asked Thomas.
"So this all about you not being invited to a party," Teal responded. "So what, you didn't get to do promotion of Douglas County like Abe and I did. By the way, I didn't even know Abe was going to be a part of it... so is that what this is going to break down to? That you didn't get your time on a Facebook ad?"
The conversation continued until a resident stated, "Can you guys start acting like adults, please?"
Teal and Layden ultimately voted to make Layden the chair of the water meetings. Layden insists he hasn't taken a public position on the proposal.
