The Montrose County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday approved a letter addressed to President Donald Trump, calling for urgent intervention by the federal government against what they describe as unconstitutional overreach by the State of Colorado.

The letter, addressed from all three commissioners—Scott Mijares, Sue Hansen, and Sean Pond—argues that the state is “stripping its citizens of rights once secured under the Constitution,” including Second Amendment protections, parental rights, and local control.

“Critical protections—including those enshrined in the Second Amendment, the rights of property owners, the rights of parents, and the rights of the People to local self-governance—are being systematically dismantled,” the letter states.

It calls on Trump, the U.S. Supreme Court, and Attorney General Pam Bondi to “urgently intervene,” review Colorado’s legislation, and support rural counties seeking to “preserve and defend the Constitution.”

“We are pleading for your voice, your leadership, and your action before it is too late,” the letter concludes. “If Colorado falls, the pattern will replicate across this nation. If the Constitution can be trampled in Colorado without consequence, no state will be safe from the same fate.”

While the letter does not name specific legislation, Commissioner Pond defended the document during Wednesday’s meeting, saying it was not intended to invite federal oversight, but to highlight concerns about “the worst legislation in 150 years” coming out of the state capital.

“I don’t want federal oversight,” Pond said. “I’d like to keep them out of my business. But there is detrimental legislation coming out of our state capital this year… This is going to be something that’s sent to our federal government asking for help making sure that our constitutional freedoms here in Colorado are not compromised.”

The board voted 2-0 to approve the letter, with Hansen abstaining. Mijares and Pond voted in favor.

Before casting her abstention, Hansen noted that while the board frequently sends symbolic letters of support for various causes, this one struck her as more politically charged and likely not reflective of all county residents.

“The board has a perspective, and it may not necessarily agree with everybody in Montrose County,” Hansen said. “We do letters of support all the time… and I think they’re largely symbolic.”

Public comment on the letter drew sharp criticism from some residents, who viewed the move as politically motivated and contrary to the spirit of local governance.

Cliff Faurer, a Montrose resident, called the letter “an invitation for the federal government to run our county.”

“You’re asking for cover from this lawless administration to impose your views on the 44,806 citizens and residents of Montrose County,” Faurer said. “Your actions to date are inconsistent with the needs of this community.”

He accused the board of wasting resources on internal shakeups and undermining public confidence.

“You’ve wasted significant time, energy, and money to get rid of the county manager, county attorney, and assistant county manager,” he said. “Get back to the business of working for all of us—or face the recall vote this summer.”

In his comments, Pond said the letter was already being shared with counties across Colorado and is intended to be part of a broader effort to draw attention to the concerns of rural communities.

Despite the public reaction, Mijares did not comment further on the letter during the meeting. The motion passed with minimal discussion beyond Hansen’s brief statement.

The full text of the letter is available here.

Justin Tubbs is the Montrose Business Times editor. He can be reached by email at justin@montrosebusinesstimes.com or by phone at 970-765-0915 or mobile at 254-246-2260.