Celebrating Those Who Work in Public Service

By Kristin Stephens | Larimer County Commissioner

From May 4–10, 2025, we will celebrate Public Service Recognition Week. Each year since 1985, the first week of May has been set aside as Public Service Recognition Week, a time to thank dedicated public employees from federal, state, and local governments across the country.

Larimer County has over 2,000 employees who provide critical services to our residents, and we are so grateful for their work. In today’s environment with shrinking budgets and layoffs of federal workers, public service may not be as valued or understood as it once was. That’s why it’s more important than ever to honor public workers and shine a light on the important work they do.

As Larimer County Commissioners, we welcome new employees at our new employee orientations. At February’s orientation, new staff members introduced themselves and talked about their new positions. They came from many different departments in the county, from Human Services to Road and Bridge, and they had a sense of pride working for the residents of Larimer County; they understood how important and fulfilling this work is.

In a short column, it’s impossible to acknowledge every department in the county, but I do want to highlight some of the crucial work being done by our staff. As commissioners, we have done ride-alongs with our Park Rangers and the Sheriff’s Department, we’ve sat with child protection staff as they do their crucial and often heartbreaking work and rely on the expertise of our planning and engineering staff as we make critical land use decisions for our community. We have seen firsthand how staff work tirelessly to better our community.

Larimer County’s Road and Bridge staff manages around 900 miles of roads across the county. They are often out in the heat of the day, and on the coldest, snowiest days, making sure roads are maintained and plowed. Our Natural Resources staff and Rangers protect our reservoirs and over 55,000 acres of our precious open space.

The Office of Emergency Management ensures we have adequate resources to protect and take care of our community during natural disasters, including last year’s Alexander Mountain Fire, which destroyed homes and burned over 9,000 acres. Our Community Justice Alternatives provides community-based placement options instead of jail; in this model, justice-involved residents can make restitution and get the treatment they need in a residential facility that is much less expensive than our jail.

Many of our staff members work in Human Services, where they administer public benefits like Medicaid and food assistance for tens of thousands of Larimer County residents. Human Services also provides Child and Adult Protection Services for our vulnerable community members. Our Behavioral Health team oversees work at our Longview Facility, where staff have seen over 3,800 patients in their first year of operation.

We are thankful for all county staff, including those who work for our elected officials, including the Sheriff, the Treasurer and Public Trustee, the Assessor, the Clerk and Recorder, the Coroner, and the District Attorney. We work in partnership with all these offices as we provide services for the residents of Larimer County.

As you interact with county and public employees throughout the year, we encourage you to thank them for their valuable and crucial service to our residents.

Kristin Stephens is a Larimer County commissioner representing all of Larimer County.