He’s been a resident of Larimer County for nearly seven decades and now, after serving in both the Colorado State House of Representatives and on the Fort Collins City Council, Bob McCluskey has his eyes set on the board of Larimer County Commissioners. McCluskey, a Republican, is facing Democrat Kristin Stephens in this year’s election.

In addition to his time in the Colorado General Assembly and Fort Collins City Council, McCluskey also served on the Fort Collins Parks and Recreation Board, as Chairman of the Poudre Fire Authority, chairman of the Colorado 4-H Youth Fund and as a member of the Fort Collins Rotary Board of Directors. He also served on the Colorado State Methamphetamine Task Force and the Fort Collins Community Foundation Board. “It has also been important to me to give back to the community,” McCluskey said.

This is all in addition to running his family’s business, the Poudre Valley Creamery, where his undergraduate and MBA degrees from prestigious Stanford University were put to good use. Of his work in the private sector, McCluskey explained he worked virtually every job in the family business, “learning to drive trucks, work on the loading dock, create jobs and meet a budget. We were an early example of the “Farm-to-table” model throughout Larimer County.”

Asked why he decided to throw his hat in the ring for the Board of Commissioners, McCluskey explained, “Larimer County is growing at a fast rate which is creating new problems and opportunities for the future. Understanding both the municipal and state governments, I can be effective in working together to solve our individual and regional issues. I want to use my past experience to keep Larimer County the unique place it has always been. It will take leadership to Keep Larimer Local.”

A central tenant of McCluskey’s campaign has been focusing on making county government more efficient and responsive to citizens and assuring the county is doing what it can to foster economic growth and create jobs within county limits. “When I first started my campaign, I felt it was important to create more higher-paying jobs in Larimer County, to keep taxes low, to protect our natural environment and property rights, to fix our transportation system, increase our veterans’ services and to stand up to the Denver politicians,” McCluskey said.

As is the case for almost everyone in the county, the COVID-19 pandemic caused McCluskey to mark some alterations to his campaign plans. As he explained, “Now our world has changed. We need to continue opening up our economy and doing it safely. We have much to be proud of in how Larimer County residents have responded to the fight against the coronavirus. We must protect the vulnerable, continue to open our economy, and plan for the future.”

McCluskey sees economic growth and addressing the transportation infrastructure needs of the county as being somewhat interrelated. He explained that by creating more good, high-paying jobs in the county, it will create less stress on regional transportation infrastructure and reduce the need to be continuously expanding the interstates.

“We need to fix our transportation infrastructure with a focus on making it easier for Larimer County residents to get to Larimer County jobs. People should be able to get to work, school, shopping, and dining with a simple, safe commute.” McCluskey says.

McCluskey said the most important role of government, at any level, is to assure the safety and well-being of the citizens. “We need to make sure that our neighborhoods and public spaces are kept safe for families,” McCluskey said and outlines three planks the county can use to assure that goal is achieved, guarantee equal justice under the law, provide Sheriff  (Justin) Smith with the resources he needs and enforce the laws on crimes that affect quality of life.

McCluskey explained that throughout his years in public service, he has devoted himself to listening to his constituents and responding to their needs saying, “Each time I was running or was in an elected office, I made extensive efforts to listen to my constituents. This isn’t easy. As peoples’ lives will become busier again, we must strive to find a way to capture the interest of Larimer County residents. I support going back to the “County seat for a day” model as a way to reach out across the County and see what people are thinking.”

Further information about McCluskey’s campaign can be found at https://www.mccluskeyforlarimer.com/.