Some residents of Colorado’s highest oil-producing county say they’ve had enough of being Coloradans. They want out. The Weld County residents want to become part of Wyoming and have started a secession movement called “Weld County, Wyoming.”
They want voters to decide in November 2021 whether the county could be annexed with the state of Wyoming.
The county is not only one of the state’s top agricultural counties but heavy in oil and gas production. Some of its residents contend Colorado’s priorities have shifted away from those industries.
If the proposal is eventually included on the November ballot and the initiative passes, the Colorado legislature and the Wyoming legislature would have to approve it, along with possible approval from Colorado voters and Congress required, according the Mayor of Erie, Colorado.
Weld County has an estimated population (2019) of around 325,000 residents while Wyoming has an estimated population (2019) of around 579,000 residents statewide. Weld County joining the state would mean a huge uptick in population and a big shift in population distribution.
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