Rep. Libby Szabo
State Rep. Libby Szabo, who has been frustrated at the Colorado Legislature, has been tapped to fill a vacancy on the Jefferson County board of commissioners.
The Arvada Republican said she put her name into consideration at the urging of people who called her and because she wanted to be in a job where she can “get more things done.” She said she has introduced “common sense” legislation that the Democrats have killed.
“A lot of the things I bring are not out there or far fetched,” said Szabo, who has pushed to ease the regulatory burden on small businesses and . “On the county commission you get to work closer with the people and that excites me. I hear you can get more things done. That’s why I’m doing this. I’ve been frustrated.”
She will be one of two Republicans on the . She will join Republican Don Rosier, who was re-elected in November, and Democrat Casey Tighe, who was elected in 2012.
Szabo was mistakenly called “Lily” Szabo when Gov. John Hickenlooper recognized her in his Thursday (full disclosure: I once misidentified her as Lizzy Szabo).
Szabo said she did one-on-one interviews with the vacancy committee on Thursday and learned last night she had gotten the post, which will be a bump in pay. Commissioners in large counties receives $87,300, Szabo makes $30,000 as a state lawmaker.
Szabo will take the seat of Republican Faye Griffin,r who resigned from the board after being elected county clerk in November.
Another GOP vacancy committee, for House District 27, will meet and appoint someone to take over Szabo’s seat. And the House GOP caucus will meet to elected someone to Szabo’s leadership post; she is the assistant minority leader.
Szabo said she did not know when she would be sworn in as a commissioner.
The liberal blog ColoradoPols the vacancy committee process, including the fact that it refused to release the names of other contenders for the post. Szabo, who has pushed for transparency, said she was not involved in how that committee operated.
