Douglas County Commissioner Abe Laydon was recently criticized for encouraging Terri Wiebold, publisher of The Connection, to submit a costly proposal—up to $485,000 annually—to distribute “good news” about the county to residents. Wiebold’s plan involved mailing papers to rural homes and placing them at pickup locations countywide.

After local coverage from the SPOTLIGHT section raised concerns, the proposal was abruptly pulled from the commissioners’ meeting agenda. County Communications Director Caroline Frizell told Colorado Community Media the board wasn’t interested, citing concerns about blurring the line between government messaging and a free press. Laydon later issued statements framing the idea as an effort to share accurate, fact-based information directly with citizens.

Reporter Corey Hutchins noted Wiebold said the county had approached her with the idea, not the other way around. Hutchins questioned whether governments should pay local media to spread favorable coverage, stressing the need for independent journalism.

Lora Thomas also linked the incident to Laydon’s history of steering county funds toward associates without competitive bids, citing multiple past examples. The pulled proposal was portrayed as a taxpayer win and another instance of Laydon avoiding responsibility when caught.

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