The one member of the Mesa County Board of Public Health (BOPH) whose term expires this year is controversial anti-vax, anti-immigrant, anti-gay tax evader Stephen D. Daniels, whose term expires on April 30, 2026, and it appears the Commissioners are ready to replace him. The county is now advertising on the County’s “Volunteer Opportunities” page for someone new to fill his seat on the BOPH.
Until just a few days ago, Daniels’ re-appointment to the BOPH looked like a done deal. An item to re-appoint him for an additional 5 year term was on the Commissioners’ consent agenda for their meeting this morning, on 4/14/26, meaning they considered his reappointment so non-controversial that they intended to approve it without any public discussion and with the whack of a gavel.
All that changed though, after his reappointment appearing on the consent agenda came to the public’s attention and some County residents were appalled. The commissioners were alerted to the outrage and as a result took the item to reappoint Daniels off the consent agenda — and then removed it from the meeting agenda entirely — and instead of holding public hearings on Daniels’ reappointment to the BOPH, they posted an opening on the BOPH, making it appear that Daniels won’t be reappointed and his seat on the Board is now up for grabs.
If you want to read about the volunteer opportunity on the BOPH, click here. To apply, you only need to be a resident of the County and represent a business in the County in some capacity. If you’re interested in applying for the seat, click here.
Here’s the latest
• Talks to end war: Trump administration officials are working to arrange a meeting in Pakistan this weekend to discuss an off-ramp to the war, two senior administration officials tell CNN. Iran has taunted the White House by suggesting it may be negotiating with itself. It is still unclear whether Tehran has agreed to any of the terms in a 15-point proposal from the US that sources said was shared with Iran via Pakistan.
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• US troop deployment: Around 1,000 US soldiers with the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division are preparing to deploy in coming days to the Middle East, sources told CNN.
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• Strikes persist: A residential area in Tehran was hit by an airstrike, according to the Iranian Red Crescent said. Drones struck a fuel tank at Kuwait International Airport, the country’s civil aviation authority said.
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• Strait of Hormuz: Multiple vessels have passed through the strait since yesterday morning, tracking data appears to show, as Iran says it will charge countries a fee for safe passage through the critical waterway.
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Good work Anne on bringing this issue out into the open for reconsideration.
Mesa County’s current vacancy posting and recent commentary indicate that the county sometimes expects a member to represent or have ties to a business or professional sector in the county, but this is a local policy choice rather than a strict statutory requirement. These are typical qualifications for Board Members;
◆ Emergency Preparedness Coordinator
◆ Environmental Health Specialist
◆ Epidemiologist
◆ Health Educator
◆ Health Planner
◆ Nutritionist
◆ Public Health Nurse
So that still does not explain why someone has to represent a business in the County. Seems like local policy needs to be questioned like many things going on behind the scene.
Somebody please question the county about this stated requirement for the person who holds this Board of Public Health seat to have a connection to a local business. Please report back on what you find out, and whether this requirement is memorialized somewhere, or it it’s just an optional preference expressed by the commissioners.
I also wonder why there is a requirement to represent a business.
In case anyone would like to apply…
https://www.mesacounty.us/departments-and-services/commissioners/volunteer-opportunities
I am confused why do you have to represent a business in the County in some capacity to be qualified for a health board seat??
Had the same question.
Please ask the County and report back!