Moore Thoughts

Practical Ideas for Teller County

Don Moore is running for Teller County Commissioner because local government should be practical, transparent, accountable, and focused on the people who live here. This page shares a few of Don’s thoughts on county service, wildfire readiness, citizen involvement, responsible government, and why local leadership matters.

Public Office Is a Public Trust

County Commissioners are entrusted with public money, public authority, public records, land-use decisions, emergency preparedness, infrastructure priorities, and the confidence of the people. Don believes that public office should be treated as a fiduciary responsibility. That means decisions should be made carefully, openly, lawfully, and with clear respect for the citizens who pay for county government.

Good government does not require drama. It requires preparation, listening, documentation, follow-through, and the humility to remember that elected officials work for the public.

Bringing Federal-Level Experience Home

Don spent more than 25 years in fiduciary services, financial oversight, risk management, regulatory compliance, and public-accountability work. He began his career as a federal Trust Examiner with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, helping oversee institutions responsible for billions of dollars in assets and matters of public trust. During his career, Don worked with budgets, fiduciary responsibilities, and assets far exceeding Teller County’s approximately $50 million annual budget.

That experience matters at the county level.  Teller County needs Commissioners who can read complex rules, ask hard questions, understand risk, protect public resources, and insist on clear accountability.

Wildfire Readiness Is a Countywide Issue

Teller County lives with wildfire risk every day. Wildfire readiness is not only a fire-department issue. It is a countywide responsibility involving residents, neighborhoods, HOAs, fire districts, emergency management, land-use planning, public education, evacuation routes, grant opportunities, and practical mitigation work.

Fire suppression happens after a fire starts. Fire mitigation happens before a fire starts. Both matter, but they are not the same. Don believes Teller County should do more to support practical mitigation, home hardening, neighborhood readiness, and resident education before the emergency begins. That means helping people understand their own property risk, encouraging neighborhood workdays, supporting volunteer mitigation efforts, improving communication, and making sure county plans lead to real action on the ground.

The Mountain Pine Beetle Problem

Mountain pine beetle activity is a serious concern for Teller County property owners. Infested trees can weaken forest health, increase hazardous fuels, and create greater wildfire risk if problems are ignored. Don believes the county should treat forest health as part of public safety.

That does not mean creating unnecessary burdens for property owners. It means giving residents clear information, practical options, access to trusted resources, and encouragement to act early. A healthy forest is safer, more resilient, and better prepared for the realities of living in the wildland-urban interface.

From Plans to Action

Teller County has had reports, assessments, committees, plans, and recommendations related to wildfire risk and mitigation. Plans matter only if they lead to action. 

Don believes county government should focus on measurable results: stronger partnerships, better public communication, more mitigation work, updated planning documents that are actually used, and funding strategies that help residents and neighborhoods reduce risk. The county should not simply talk about wildfire readiness. It should help make readiness easier, more practical, and more visible across Teller County.

Respect for Volunteers and Citizens

Teller County depends on volunteers. Volunteers serve in fire departments, churches, civic groups, community organizations, food pantries, mitigation groups, veterans’ groups, neighborhood associations, school activities, and local events. Don believes county government should encourage citizen service, not discourage it.

When residents are willing to give their time, tools, labor, experience, and energy to make Teller County better, county government should look for ways to support that effort. Don has seen what happens when people are given ownership, purpose, and a place to belong. They show up. They work hard. They help neighbors. They solve problems. That is the kind of civic energy Teller County should welcome.

Transparency Is Not a Technicality

Open meetings, public records, clear agendas, fair notice, and transparent decision-making are not technicalities. They are the foundation of public trust. Citizens should not have to fight for basic information. They should not have to wonder how decisions were made. They should not feel punished for asking questions.

Don believes county government should be accessible, consistent, and accountable. People may disagree on policy. That is normal. But every citizen deserves fair treatment, clear information, and respectful communication from the government that serves them.

More Than Yard Work

Some people know Don as the neighbor who shows up with a chainsaw, work gloves, and volunteers. That is true, and it matters. Don has helped organize teenagers, retirees, working families, veterans, and neighbors of all ages to show up together and do hard physical work for people they may never have met. 

But Don is not just someone who gets yard work done. He brings federal-level fiduciary discipline, financial oversight experience, regulatory knowledge, risk-management judgment, board-governance experience, and a deep commitment to transparent government. Don is not working his way up a political ladder. He is bringing hard-earned competence back down to the level of government closest to the people.

Why Don Is Running

Don is running because Teller County needs practical leadership. Leadership that listens. Leadership that understands public trust. Leadership that respects volunteers. Leadership that knows the difference between talk and results.

Leadership that treats taxpayer money carefully. Leadership that believes citizens have a right to ask questions.

Leadership that can help Teller County prepare for wildfire, manage growth, protect rural character, and restore confidence in county government.

Don has already served Teller County without a title. Now he is asking voters to write him in for Teller County Commissioner.

Fill the bubble. Write in Don Moore.