In Colorado, the state constitution allows municipalities like Lone Tree to adopt home rule charters, giving local governments primary authority over matters of local concern. Lone Tree’s home rule authority is longstanding and distinct. In 1998, voters in Lone Tree chose to become a home rule municipality so that community issues could be decided locally, guided directly by the people who live here.

In recent years, however, the state legislature has increasingly passed laws in areas traditionally governed at the local level, narrowing that local control. As the state legislature enacts laws affecting local matters, the City of Lone Tree will continue to rely on its home rule authority and will not apply those laws where they conflict with local governance.

What is Home Rule?

A home rule charter acts similarly to a local constitution and outlines how the city government operates. In Colorado, home rule authority was established through amendments to the state constitution in the early 20th century to give municipalities greater control over local affairs, recognizing that local governments are often best positioned to address their own needs. When city elected officials, rather than the state legislature, make decisions over local affairs, the decision can be more representative of the desires of the citizens because decision-making at the local level is closer to the people it impacts. That is why so many Colorado communities operate under home rule today.

Once a city becomes home rule, it has more ability to enact local ordinances dealing with uniquely municipal issues like land use and development; local elections and government structure; nuisance and public safety regulations; business and economic development; and other community-specific policies.

However, even a home rule city still needs to comply with federal and state laws that address matters of national or statewide concern. For example, the City needs to comply with all disabilities’ laws. But if a home rule city adopts an ordinance on a matter of purely local concern that conflicts with state law, the local ordinance will prevail within the city’s jurisdiction.

State Legislation and Local Control

In recent years, the Colorado General Assembly has taken a more active role in areas traditionally governed at the local level, particularly in land use, housing, and related regulations. Recent state legislation, both enacted and proposed, has set uniform standards on issues such as zoning, occupancy limits, parking requirements, and housing near transit, in some cases narrowing how cities can apply their own local regulations. Municipal organizations, including the Colorado Municipal League, have raised concerns that these measures blur the line between matters of statewide and local concern and reduce the flexibility home rule communities rely on to address their unique circumstances.

Keeping Decisions in Lone Tree

Home rule gives the City more authority to guide its own future and control its own destiny. It allows Lone Tree to respond more quickly to community priorities and make decisions based on what makes the most sense for Lone Tree, rather than relying entirely on laws at the state level. Even as the state takes a more active role in certain policy areas, home rule remains an important tool for keeping decisions as close to the Lone Tree community as possible. As the state advances legislation in traditionally local areas, Lone Tree will continue to assert its home rule authority, governing local matters under its own regulations where state laws conflict with that authority.

For more information, visit cml.org.