{"id":3203,"date":"2026-07-30T04:12:51","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T04:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=3203"},"modified":"2026-07-30T04:12:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T04:12:51","slug":"state-declares-tiny-southeast-colorado-town-abandoned-after-infighting-resignations-and-a-water-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coloradospringsmoverss.com\/?p=3203","title":{"rendered":"State declares tiny southeast Colorado town abandoned after infighting, resignations and a water crisis"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The beleaguered town of Hartman is no more.<\/p>\n

The Colorado Secretary of State\u2019s Office said Wednesday that it had approved a resident\u2019s petition for abandonment \u2014 effectively transferring all town business and assets to Prowers County.<\/p>\n

Read more Takeaways from Anthony Fauci\u2019s COVID-era diaries<\/a><\/p>\n

Hartman, a tiny community of 30 people in southeast Colorado, had been stuck in a legal limbo with no analog in recent state history since all of its elected officials resigned from their posts earlier this year. That occurred amid petty squabbles, fraud allegations and a physical altercation following a Board of Trustees meeting.<\/p>\n

With no government, the town cannot hold elections or address a deepening crisis surrounding its water supply. The town has been on a boil order for the past year, and its water tower has been in need of serious repairs for years.<\/p>\n

The imbroglio reached the state Capitol, where lawmakers in this year\u2019s session passed a bill specifically written to address Hartman\u2019s unique situation. That legislation, Senate Bill 157, makes it easier for residents and counties to declare a town abandoned \u2014 and for the state to assist dissolved municipalities with failing water systems.<\/p>\n

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In a tiny Colorado town, infighting dissolved the government. Now the water\u2019s running out.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n