Kersey resident Terry DeGroot will serve on the Weld County Council following his appointment earlier this week.
The council appointed DeGroot on Monday to fill the vacancy left by former Councilwoman Cindy Beemer, who was appointed in 2022. Her term ended at the end of 2024.
The county council in late January called for applications for the vacant at-large position. The council asked for any registered voters of Weld County over the age of 21 to serve the remainder of the term, which ends on Dec. 31, 2028.
The Weld County Council is charged with reviewing all aspects of county government. It makes periodic written reports to the people and acts as a liaison between the people of Weld County and the various departments.
Additionally, the council is responsible for considering requests from the commissioners to grant an increased mill levy, reviewing conflicts of interest between any county employee and any enterprise or organization doing business with Weld County, filling vacancies on the Board of County Commissioners and setting the salaries for elected county officials.
Due to the release, the council received four applications and interviewed those candidates on Monday during their monthly council meeting. With only four members present, the council decided to vote using a point-based system, with higher-ranked candidates receiving more points than others.
DeGroot, who previously ran against U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans in 2022 for the Republican nomination to the District 48 state representative seat, made his enthusiasm for public service known. DeGroot used his experience as a dairy farm owner and former Navy police officer to illustrate his capability for making good decisions under pressure.
“I believe I’m a voice of reason,” DeGroot said. “I can bring to the table good decision-making skills, as I have for my business and my time as a police officer in the Navy.”
As a council member, DeGroot told the council during interviews, his goal would be to strengthen the connection between all the county departments and the people of Weld County. If appointed, he would support the people who make this county their home, he said.
“If you wake up before 7 a.m., I am representing you,” DeGroot said. “I wake up, and I break my fingers. I know what it’s like not to have the resources, to stretch yourself thin and to break your back. I will be the working-class councilman, and if you’re working to make Weld County and the United States better, you are who I represent.”
The council had a difficult time deciding who to appoint. The vote resulted in a tie between DeGroot and another candidate, Blair Howell. Councilmen Elijah Hatch and Jeff Reck voted in favor of DeGroot, with Councilman James Welch and Council President Nancy Teksten voting for Howell.
After several tiebreakers and a final question from the council, each member stood firm in their decisions. This prompted a last-minute amendment to the selection process, in which Teksten excused herself from the vote, resulting in DeGroots’s appointment.
“This was hard fought,” Teksten said. “It was a very difficult decision.”
DeGroot was appointed to the council seat that evening and will now serve as the at-large councilman for Weld County until the end of 2028.
The next county council meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 18 at the Weld County Administration Office, 1150 O St.
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