The Garfield County Democratic Party has endorsed a bill making its way through the Colorado Legislature that would remove elected county commissioners from the statutorily required local public health board. But the three Republican county commissioners say they intend to continue serving in their roles on the Garfield County Board of Health. The health board takes advice from and gives direction to the county’s Department of Public Health, and decides certain policy matters, especially when it comes to spending. County-level health boards have become crucial during the past year in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Many, including those in neighboring Pitkin and Mesa counties, have relied heavily on medical experts and institutional representatives in helping to make those decisions, county Democrats pointed out in a recently issued press release.