Abe Laydon

Free “Uber” in Douglas County is here! Link On Demand has now delivered 83,000 rides with a 4.9★ out of 5 rating, helping everyone from seniors getting to doctor’s appointments to residents with developmental disabilities. Thanks to my fellow commissioners, we took Lone Tree’s successful pilot and scaled it countywide. If you live in Parker, Highlands Ranch, Castle Rock, or Lone Tree, you can now access free rides anywhere in Douglas County, with more locations coming soon. Even better, this program is designed to pay for itself, generating new sales tax revenue as riders shop and dine across our local economy, from King Soopers to Park Meadows to the Outlets. Grateful to our municipal partners, our residents, and Via for making this happen. Douglas County - enjoy the ride.

Honored to serve as this year's Chair of Metro Area County Commissioners (MACC), the seven large Denver area counties representing 3.1 million people, over half the state's population. We're tackling top Denver Area priorities this year like emergency preparedness, construction defects, and cold weather coordination, while running bills at the Capitol around human trafficking, local code enforcement, and affordable housing. Our next meeting is this Friday January 16, 2026 at 9:30AM at the offices of the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) downtown. Check out the website at metroareacc.org and we look forward to partnering with you to elevate our region in 2026!

Full State of the County here in case you missed it! youtu.be/bjzvNsO-zu0 Nothing like celebrating the State of the County last week with 400 of our closest friends and colleagues. Leadership isn’t about noise. It’s about getting things done and delivering real results. As we approach a Christmas and the New Year, I’m deeply grateful to have served as Chairman of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners yet again alongside two phenomenal commissioners - respectful, professional, and positive leaders I’m proud to also call friends. Together, we’ve advanced initiatives like HEART to drive homelessness toward zero, Zebulon, a world-class sports village, a year-round helicopter protecting lives and property, LINK expansion (think free Uber), and increased SROs to keep every child in our schools safe - real investments in safety, infrastructure, and quality of life. Having my amazing mom and my two boys there with me was the icing on the cake. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and may God continue to bless Douglas County!

Thanks to your kindness and encouragement, children at our local hospitals had a SUPER Halloween. 🦸‍♂️❤️ It can be spooky to be in the hospital on Halloween instead of out trick-or-treating, but because of you, hundreds of cards written at the Sterling Ranch Fall Festival as well as STEM Second Graders helped brighten their day. It’s become one of my favorite traditions to don the cape as Superman each year to bring some joy and to honor the true heroes among us. This time, I stood beside Wolverine and Captain America, reminding me that some heroes cross paths for a reason - and that strength shows up in many forms✨Thank you to all the county’s healthcare professionals and the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office. I’m always inspired by the courage of these kids and the generosity of our community.

Honored to cut the ribbon with tremendous partners (two months ahead of schedule!) on the largest transportation investment in Douglas County history. It’s of course more than just moving cars, it’s about moving lives forward. Families will spend less time in traffic and more time together with safer commutes, businesses will thrive, and the county will have an even greater foundation for prosperity for generations to come.

So many great memories at another sold out county fair! The Unbridled Rodeo for kids with developmental disabilities showcased pure joy, courage, and the unstoppable spirit of our kids, born from one simple belief: every child deserves their moment in the arena, where they’re the star and the world cheers just for them. Watching these young cowboys and cowgirls light up with confidence and pride tell us what this event is really about - not just rodeo, but belonging, bravery, and dreams unchained. Moments like these remind us that every child deserves to reach boldly for the stars - and sometimes, when they do, they catch one and have courage to never let go.

As founder and chairman of the Douglas County Homeless Initiative, I’m excited to share that TEXT is here! Yes, while Denverites may find it hard to believe, the official HUD point in time for Douglas County shows zero encampments, zero panhandling, and six unsheltered homeless in a county of 400,000 people. Through local hotel vouchers and partnerships with GOALS family housing, Ready to Work, local churches, and nonprofits those remaining needs are being met. We have functionally ended homelessness in Douglas County, particularly among veterans as recognized by the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative. Now citizens who are unhoused or encounter those in crisis can TEXT as well as call HEART (our Homeless Engagement Assistance Resource Team) at 303.660.7301. Thank you to all citizens for your support of HEART and the Handouts Don’t Help Campaign which redirects 100% of your generosity safely to the Douglas County Community Foundation homeless assistance fund. More info in the link.

WHAT IS PRIDE? Pride is the antidote to shame. It’s the voice that rises after years of silence. The hand extended when you thought no one would reach for you. The light that breaks through isolation, loneliness, and the feeling that you’re the only one in the world who was born this way. Pride is connection. It’s joy. It’s radiant, defiant love. It’s being seen, known, and embraced—not in spite of who you are, but because of it. And if you’re lucky, you just might get to share that joy with family, friends, faith, and community. I know I’m one of the lucky ones. I can’t speak for everyone, but I can speak as a man who walked much of his life trying to meet the expectations of others—never giving himself permission to even ask who I was: an AESTHETE drawn to internal and external beauty regardless of gender. And maybe that’s why at Pride you’ll see joy expressed freely. Because for too long, many of us lived in fear, carrying the weight of a world that refused to see us. That kind of freedom isn’t just celebration, it’s healing. I’ve only been out for three years, but here’s what I’ve learned: To celebrate Pride is to say: I’m still here. It means I get to be alive, loved, and real, to cherish the twenty plus years of marriage to an amazing woman who I created beautiful children with, but also now standing beside a man who’s only ever known the complete me, and before a God who I’m certain makes no mistakes. But I don’t celebrate just for me or my journey. I celebrate for everyone who never made it out. For those shunned by a family member, erased by certain churches, abandoned by some communities. For those who ended their lives because the pain was too great. For those who died of AIDS while the world looked away. For leaders like County Supervisor Harvey Milk, who stood tall in spite of terrible opposition for basic dignity and equality for all people. I celebrate for them, and for everyone still afraid to speak their truth. I celebrate for anyone being told they don’t matter. That their love is wrong. That their marriage, their family, or even their existence is up for debate. Because who we love is no more a changeable choice than the color of our skin, and the right to live and love freely should never be conditional. Pride in 2025 feels complicated. But for most of us, it’s not about politics. It’s not about headlines or hashtags. It’s about the right to exist as yourself, It’s about dignity. It’s about the quiet courage of ordinary people who are just trying to pay the bills, raise their kids, and live with integrity. So this week, I celebrate Pride as a human bridge between the faith community and the queer community, and people from all backgrounds. I celebrate while still finding my place—and lifting up the movement that’s always been about one simple truth: The right to love and be loved, just as we were made to. Happy Pride, Colorado. And if you’re struggling, please don’t do it alone. Call or text 988. Help is real, free, and confidential. You are not broken. You are not alone. You are worthy of love—just as you are.

Turn your YES ON HOMERULE ballot in today to make sure we can prioritize critical public safety measures like year-round aerial wildfire support into the charter! youtu.be/i5PnM4Yk58s?si…

You asked for world class recreation for all ages, sports fields, open space, and wildlife corridors right in Douglas County. Our answer is YES! Welcome to Zebulon, breaking ground this year for you and your families to enjoy for generations to come. Learn more in the video link below. youtu.be/C224rFmMAdk?si…

Yesterday marked a historic moment in Douglas County history. It was the day we declared, with one voice, that we will no longer sit back while the state government dictates policies that undermine our values, jeopardize our safety, and make it harder for hardworking families to afford to live and thrive here. We love this county. We love this country. We love this state. We But the policies coming out of Denver do not reflect the reality of life in our communities. They do not reflect the concerns of small business owners, of ranchers and farmers, of parents raising their children with the expectation that law and order should be respected, that property ownership should be protected, and that government should be a partner in prosperity—not an obstacle. For too long, we have watched as reckless state policies have made Colorado less safe, less affordable, and less free. We have seen so-called criminal justice reforms that prioritize criminals over victims. We have seen a crisis of homelessness escalate because the state enables, rather than addresses, the root causes. We have seen immigration policies that ignore the strain placed on our schools, hospitals, and law enforcement. And we have seen the constant, relentless increase in property taxes, pricing people out of homes they have owned for generations. Enough is enough. I am proud to stand with my fellow commissioners, particulary under the strong leadership on this issue by my friend and colleague George Teal, to announce that Douglas County is taking a stand. We are pursuing home rule status to assert our right to govern ourselves in the best interests of our people. We will take control of our own future, push back against the overreach from Denver, and restore local decision-making where it belongs—with the people who actually live here. Home rule means putting our community first. It means standing up for the safety of our families, the rights of homeowners, and the protection of our hard-earned tax dollars. It means rejecting the idea that one-size-fits-all policies from politicians in Denver should dictate how we live our lives. Colorado is at a crossroads. The values that built this state—hard work, independence, personal responsibility—are under attack. But we in Douglas refuse to let those values disappear. We refuse to let lawlessness take root. We refuse to let radical policies drive families and businesses away. This is not just about one county—it is about a movement. A movement of Coloradans who love this state too much to watch it be mismanaged into decline. We will fight for our communities, our safety, our homes, and our freedoms. God bless this county, and God bless the great state of Colorado! douglas.co.us/local-issues-l…

No matter where you hail from in Colorado, Douglas County will always be a place where we honor veterans and those who have sacrificed for their country. denvergazette.com/news/101-year-…

Illegal Immigration: While sanctuary cities defend their policies, Douglas County Commissioners have been proactive at solving this crisis locally. douglas.co.us/illegal-immigr…

It is tragic that our censured colleague with whom we made countless attempts at reconciliation, chose to repeatedly violate our policy manual, and then host a press conference when the County was honoring the Kendrick Castillo family. It is entirely normal and customary after a November election for boxes to move, and transitions to begin. We are thankful for the peace, positivity and collaboration that Commissioner-Elect Kevin Van Winkle will bring to Douglas County.

As the commissioner who was with the teachers, families, and students at Northridge Rec Center the day of the STEM shooting, this was incredibly meaningful to help turn tragedy into triumph and watch Kendrick’s amazing mother Maria secure this sign in Highlands Ranch so that her son and his heroism could live forever in our community, inspiring all of us to selfless sacrifice for others. My thanks to my friend and colleague, re-elected Commissioner George Teal, for that critical second vote I needed to make this happen in Douglas County. John 15:13

In honor and service to our distinguished veterans today, I am pleased to announce that Douglas County has achieved functional zero veteran homelessness: denvergazette.com/news/douglas-c…

Thanks to your kind words of encouragement, children at local hospitals had a SUPER Halloween. It can be spooky to be in the hospital and certainly no fun to be there instead of trick-or-treating on Halloween. But you helped make it easier for these families. The more than 500 cards you and your kids wrote earlier in October during fall festivals in Sterling Ranch and City of Lone Tree Government brightened the days of children at HCA HealthOne Sky Ridge and Children’s Hospital Colorado (Highlands Ranch Hospital) this Halloween. I appreciate the heroes in the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and our area hospitals for their participation. I am always inspired by your generosity and the strength and endurance of the kids we meet in the hospitals. #Halloween2024 #TrickorTreat #HalloweenKids