Broomfield council sends DA term-limit question to November ballot

Broomfield City Council voted 10-0 Aug. 11 to ask voters in Broomfield and Adams County whether 17th Judicial District district attorneys should be allowed to serve three consecutive terms instead of two.

The council approved Resolution 2026-85, referring this question to the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot:

“Shall the term limits for District Attorney of the 17th Judicial District be limited to no more than three consecutive terms of office, consistent with other county offices in Adams County and the City and County of Broomfield?”

The resolution in the council’s Aug. 11 agenda packet says the measure would need majority approval from voters in both jurisdictions. The resolution leaves the ballot question number blank and authorizes the city clerk to coordinate numbering with Adams County and make required typographical or other corrections. The adopted wording may differ from the final printed ballot format.

District Attorney Brian S. Mason requested the change. During the meeting, Mason said the job is highly specialized and involves major criminal cases. He argued that a third consecutive term could improve stability, recruitment, retention and institutional knowledge, and bring the limit in line with those for many other countywide offices. His remarks are included in the meeting video record.

Council members who discussed the proposal generally supported referring it to voters. Councilmember Sharon Tessier Twiss said she planned to vote for it if it appeared on her ballot but criticized the wording because “limited to three terms” could sound like a new restriction rather than an increase from two terms to three. Councilmember William Peterson said he did not prefer the wording but supported the referral and asked that voter information explain the current limit and the reasons for changing it.

No one spoke during the public-comment period for the item, so the meeting record identifies no public opponents or supporters outside the council and Mason.

What the change could mean

The 17th Judicial District covers Adams and Broomfield counties. The district attorney’s office identifies Mason as the elected district attorney and says he was elected in November 2020 and sworn in Jan. 12, 2021. The records reviewed for this story do not establish whether Mason won reelection in 2024 or whether he is serving his first or second consecutive term.

Under Colorado’s constitutional framework, district attorneys serve four-year terms, while voters in the relevant political subdivision may modify an applicable term limit. The constitution generally limits covered local officials to two consecutive terms unless voters change that limit.