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Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture
| Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Non-partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Term limits: | None |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | Serves at the pleasure of the governor |
| Authority: | Colorado Revised Statutes, Section 35-1-107 |
| Selection Method: | Appointed by governor |
| Current Officeholder | |
 | |
| Name: | John Salazar |
| Assumed office: | 2011 |
| Compensation: | $146,040 |
| Other Colorado Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Controller • Commissioner of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Exec. Director • Labor Executive Director • Public Utilities Commission | |
Contents |
Current officeholder
The current commissioner is John Salazar, who was first appointed by Governor John Hickenlooper in 2011. As Salazar serves at the pleasure of the governor, he does not face periodic reapppointment.
Before becoming commissioner, Salazar represented Colorado's 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2005 to 2011. He was a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 2003 to 2004 and sat on the Colorado Agricultural Commission from 1999 to 2002. Salazar has participated in a number of state boards and commissions, including the Governor's Economic Development Advisory Board, the Rio Grande Water Conservation District and the Colorado Agricultural Leadership Forum. Prior to entering public service, he owned Spudspeed.com, an online potato marketing firm, and was owner/operator of El Rancho Salazar.
Salazar holds a B.S. in Business Administration from Adams State College. He and his wife, Mary Lou, have three children.[1][2]
Authority
The office of superintendent is established by Colorado statute as executive officer of the state department of education.[3]
Colorado Revised Statutes, Section 35-1-107
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(1) The commissioner of agriculture shall be the chief administrative officer of the department of agriculture and shall have direct control and management of its functions subject only to the powers and duties of the commission as prescribed in this article. |
Qualifications
There are no specific qualifications required of the commissioner of agriculture.
Appointments
The commissioner is appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by a majority of the state Senate. The commissioner serves at the governor's pleasure without any specific term length.[4]
Colorado Revised Statutes, Section 35-1-107
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The commissioner shall be appointed by the governor, with the consent of the senate, and shall serve at the pleasure of the governor. |
Term limits
There are no term limits for the office of agriculture commissioner.
Vacancies
There is no particular procedure for dealing with vacancies in the office of agriculture commissioner.
Duties
The commissioner acts as chief administrative officer of the Colorado Department of Agriculture, which regulates and promotes agriculture in the state. The department's duties include:
- Recording and administering livestock brands; inspecting and verifying owner of livestock; inspecting and licensing packing plants, livestock sale rings, etc.
- Making and enforcing regulations designed to limit the spread of livestock disease and protect animal health.
- Running the Colorado State Fair, a yearly exposition of Colorado agricultural products.
- Maintaining conservation programs designed to control pests, protect Colorado's environment from chemical runoff and contamination, and limit noxious weed growth.
- Inspecting animal feed, fertilizer, other farm products, agricultural scales and measures, grain warehouses, and animal processors.
- Marketing Colorado agricultural products in the U.S. and internationally.
Divisions
- Animal Industry
- Brand Inspection
- Colorado State Fair
- Commissioner's Office
- Conservation Services
- Inspection and Consumer Services
- Markets
- Plant Industry
Compensation
In 2010, the commissioner of agriculture received $146,040 in official compensation.[5]
Contact info
Physical address:
700 Kipling St.
Suite 4000
Lakewood, CO 80215
Phone: (303) 239-4100
Phone: (303) 239-4125
See also
External links
References
- ↑ Colorado Department of Agriculture, "Commissioner Salazar Bio," accessed July 15, 2011.
- ↑ Project VoteSmart, "Bio of John Salazar," accessed July 15, 2011.
- ↑ Colorado Revised Statutes, "22-2-110," accessed July 15, 2011.
- ↑ Colorado Revised Statutes, "35-1-107," accessed July 15, 2011.
- ↑ The Council on State Governments, "Book of the States 2010 -- Table 4.11," accessed July 15, 2011.
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