BOCC Candidate - ​​Susan Hakanson

On July 1st, 2025 at 6pm MDT, the La Plata County Deomcratic Central Committee will convene as the Vacancy Committee to fill the vacancy made by the early resignation of Commissioner Clyde Church. Three candidates have announced their interest in the District 1 seat. We invited candidates to share more about their background, values, and vision for the future. Each candidate responded to a brief questionnaire designed to give voters a closer look at who they are and what they stand for. Susan Hakanson submitted her letter of intent and her questionnare responses on July 1st at 15:01:32 hours. Click on each question to read reponses from candidate Susan Hakanson.

Tell us about your background. What has inspired you to run for BOCC?

I have been active in local governmental issues for my entire adult life. From participating in the county and state democratic central committee, volunteering for boards, and assisting in local elections, it has been clear to me that it is essential to have strong and thoughtful advocates in city councils, county commissions, and school boards.

I have been a candidate for elected office four times. Twice, I was a “placeholder” to ensure that a Democratic candidate was voicing concern for policies forwarded by the incumbents. Twice, I ran and won successful campaigns for the School Board in the Roaring Fork RE-1 district, covering a region from Glenwood Springs to Basalt, Colorado. This was a district with, at the time, over 5000 students, a budget of over $100,000,000 dollars, and a staff of 750. While president of that board, we passed the largest bond issue to date in Colorado.

Working on a policy board that operates by statute, oversees over a dozen major facilities, hundreds of staff, a fleet of vehicles, collaborates with local, state, and federal agencies, and, most of all, community members, was a challenging role that helped to prepare me for my time with La Plata County.

From my time with the county, as the Executive Director of several non-profit organizations, and on the school board, developing and working through complicated, multifaceted budgets is well within my scope of understanding and expertise.

I shifted my focus from schools and non-profits in 2009, and entered into a master's degree program that was a collaboration between the University of Denver and the Department of Local Affairs to train individuals locally to serve as county and city leaders.

In 2009, I was hired by La Plata County and joined the staff in the commissioners' office, working directly under the county manager and the assistant manager. I was first hired as a Policy Analyst and became the Special Projects Manager. (see more below under my BOCC experience).

I am deeply familiar with the roles and responsibilities of the county commissioners, the laws and statutes that govern our local governmental bodies, and the importance of a solid and understanding Board. From facilitating meetings with landowners on “the dry side” regarding the issues of blowing dust, to raising money for essential services in Durango, I have a solid appreciation of our incredibly diverse community. Serving as a County Commissioner in La Plata County would be an honor.

Please describe, in your own words, what a County Commissioner does? What will the job entail?

The County Commissioners are a policy-making board tasked with several items by state statute and the state constitution. Counties are mandated to provide services to their citizens, and the BOCC's role is to ensure that the county budget and staff are aligned to perform those mandated services. “Unfunded mandates” can make this very difficult, and the BOCC works to strike this balance.

Along with participating in the development and oversight of the overall county budget, it is imperative to work with all other elected county officials and department heads to ensure they have the funds and staffing necessary to fulfill their mandated responsibilities.

County land use regulations are always a primary task of the BOCC. While staff and the Planning and Zoning committee do much of the heavy lifting regarding land use and planning, the BOCC must first, by policy, work to ensure that the county laws in place are clear and just. This is no easy task; at the end of the day, all final land use issues come before the board for approval.

I believe the art of being a county commissioner is ensuring that county policy/ legislation and budgets are developed with the unique interests of the region and citizens at the forefront of every decision. This involves listening to a wide range of voices from the professional staff and community members and ensuring that differing opinions are heard, considered, and addressed.

What local county experience do you have - have you sat on city or county boards, commissions, non profits? Please include years of engagement.

(no candidate response)

What has been your personal experience(s) with the BOCC?

In 2009, I was hired by La Plata County and joined the staff in the commissioners' office, working directly under the county manager and the assistant manager. I was first hired as a Policy Analyst and became the Special Projects Manager. In this position, I got to know and understand the roles and responsibilities of county government and those of all the other elected officials and department heads. I served as the implementation lead on many county-wide projects of systems that are still in use today. I facilitated for the “Innovation Team,” working with many departments on process improvement and gained a comprehensive understanding of the systems that affected citizens as they interfaced with county services.

I joined the staff at La Plata County first as part of my master's degree program in Public Policy and Leadership. The program, which I graduated from in 2012, was a collaboration between the University of Denver and the Department of Local Affairs to train individuals locally to serve as county and city leaders. I worked in the commissioner's office for over 7 years, left LPC briefly to assist with family, and returned to be Executive Director at Durango Adult Education Center in 2019.

What will be your focal points / objectives to pursue with the BOCC?

It appears that turbulent times are ahead for our citizens, affecting county services and budgets. I fear that being able to make tough but thoughtful decisions will be more of a focal point than desired. Affordable housing will be a focus, and what we can do as a legislative body to help make that work. Ensuring that effective partnerships with other agencies are continued or established will be imperative, and will be a focus.

Would could LPC do to increase its revenue or funding sources? How could they improve public facing communications?

La Plata County has historically had one of the lowest property tax rates in the state of Colorado. It has been possible to keep county services at acceptable levels with the increase seen through oil & gas funds. Asking voters to do some incremental increases seems unavoidable. This will only be accomplished through a process of community meetings and conversations regarding what county citizens believe is important to their quality of life and can attribute costs to services. I believe that the county staff and elected officials already do a great amount of outreach, and this effort will be a constant effort by our community.

Public facing communication somewhat depends on how engaged the public is. When an individual/group has a felt need they look for a solution. An example is the current issue in Animas Valley and the Robert's RV resort and the 200 plus people who attend the public meeting a month ago at the Fairgrounds. On the other hand Firewise doesn't seem to get much attention, yet it is a very important part of living in a county like LaPlata. Marketing is a tricky thing, in rural areas, the one-on-one interactions have a greater impact than a flyer in the mail. We will need to have (all) county employees including the commissioners aware of and engaged in promoting what the county does and desires. As well as all the other methods deployed by a good marketing team.

What particular qualities do you bring to the "additional seats" (outside commissions, regional organizations) held by members of the BOCC? Are there any you are particularly interested in?

I have participated in many of the county boards and commissions, both as a staff member and in my roles with local non-profits. I currently sit on the Workforce Board with Clyde and have for the past six years. I have many years of experience in these roles and believe that sitting back to listen and understand what the current and emerging trends is a quality that i have worked on and developed.

Commissioner Church has been sitting on several boards and commissions that I worked directly with and enjoyed. I have done many projects for the "Living with Wildlife" and "Undesirable Plant and Rodent Advisory Commission and learned a great deal regarding the importance of these commissions. In my time with the South West Council of Governments (SWCCOG), I participated in the Regional Transportation Board. As with all of the regional boards and commissions, they are important meetings and gatherings that help create strong regional working partnerships between agencies that are imperative to efficient and effective government.

Where can people learn more and stay up to date on your campaign?

I will commit to running a full and robust campaign if appointed. If not appointed, I will make a determination.