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About Us

Collectively, CCAT represents urban, rural and resort regions across the state dealing with a diversity of issues facing every corner of Colorado. Members bring their expertise to important policy discussions and help advance public policy that supports Colorado’s future.

Image by Shelby Smith

Mission   

CCAT was formed in 2016 as a local coalition of counties and commissioners seeking to influence major policy debates that impact the lives of local communities. In 2023 CCAT completed its transition to an independent state non-profit corporation.

CCAT members believe that it is imperative for the Colorado General Assembly to hear directly from local leaders who interface daily within their communities and have the pulse of what is needed to promote a strong quality of life for Colorado citizens.

CCAT provides an additional voice for county and local government interests in statewide policy debates - working alongside and adding to the chorus of strong local government interests active at the statehouse. 

CCAT is a consensus driven organization, which works to find common ground between counties on pressing issues.  The consensus driven approach is unique and promotes commonality and support for policies that benefit the entire state, versus strictly regional advances.

Guiding Principles

Transportation & Infrastructure

  • CCAT supports innovative policies that seek to meeting Colorado's significant transportation and infrastructure
    challenges in sustainable manner which embraces the transition to a more modern cleaner system aimed at
    reducing Greenhouse Gases (GHG) to create the best possible system for moving people, goods, and services.

  • CCAT fundamentally believes that the distribution of funding should be done on a statewide basis so that
    benefits are delivered to urban and rural areas alike. CCAT supports targeted investments in multimodal uses
    including bicycle, transit, and pedestrian infrastructure, enhanced transportation options for seniors, and
    transportation demand management infrastructure.

 

Working Families & Economic Vitality

  • CCAT seeks to increase economic opportunity and improve equity and self-sufficiency for all Coloradans. To this
    end, CCAT promotes local economic development policies that provide economic security and pathways to
    living-wage careers and enhance community economic vitality, through means such as employment readiness,
    job training, affordable and accessible childcare options, and self-sufficiency programs.

  • CCAT firmly believes that a pilar of Colorado's economic development is tied to sustainable and successful
    tourism throughout the state. Many communities are reliant on visitors to access local services including
    lodging, transportation, restaurants and to bolster small businesses.

 

Promote Healthy Communities & Resources

  • CCAT is committed to supporting and sustaining healthy communities that strengthen individuals, families and
    positive outcomes for the future. CCAT acknowledges that various social determinants of health impact the
    ability of Coloradans to thrive. To that end CCAT seeks to promotes policies that will ensure the well-being of all
    families, provide access to health care for all including behavioral health care, maintain safe and affordable
    housing, and improve access to effective and efficient public benefits and services that support healthy lives for
    Coloradans.

Environmental Resiliency & Public Lands

  • CCAT supports policies to promote environmental resiliency and climate change response through multi-modal
    transportation, appropriate land use practices and development, energy efficiency and renewable energy,
    wildfire mitigation and conservation of resources through agricultural and forestry practices which ensure
    healthy land, water and air quality.

  • CCAT supports reasonable regulation of extractive industries to protect air and water quality & access; resiliency, reduce carbon and Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and reduce public health and safety impacts to residents.

  • CCAT promotes policies to manage public lands and natural resources while balancing diverse needs and rights
    of community stakeholders. To that end, CCAT will support legislation to preserve open spaces for recreation
    use, wildlife habitat, and sustainability of our agricultural heritage, and to manage our wildland urban interface
    area for both fire preparedness and forest health.

Local Empowerment, Flexibility, & Responsibility

  • CCAT views statewide directives through a lens that allows local and state governments to achieve important
    policy goals. New directives must be created in a collaborative manner that empowers local governments, allows local government the flexibility to meet goals, gives with permissive authority, and adequate financial
    resources.

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