A tiny community in southeastern Colorado has officially lost its status as an incorporated town after political turmoil, mass resignations and a worsening drinking-water crisis left residents without a functioning local government.
Colorado’s Department of State formally determined that Hartman had been abandoned under state law on July 28, announcing the decision the following day. The designation does not mean residents must leave or that the community will disappear. Instead, Hartman’s municipal government has been dissolved, and the area will continue as an unincorporated part of Prowers County.
The decision followed an application submitted in June and a public hearing held on July 13. State officials concluded that Hartman had no board of trustees, no town clerk and no legal ability to conduct a municipal election. At the same time, the former town still owned infrastructure essential for treating and delivering water to residents.
Hartman had fewer than 60 residents in the 2020 census, making it one of Colorado’s smallest incorporated communities before the ruling. Despite its size, it was responsible for maintaining its own water system, including an aging tower that residents and officials had warned required significant repairs.
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The community’s leadership crisis intensified in January following a physical confrontation connected to a town meeting. The remaining trustees later resigned, transferring records and municipal property to county officials. Without elected leaders, staff or a certified water operator, Hartman could not approve contracts, pay certain expenses or organize a lawful election to replace the officials who had left.
The water system was already under a state compliance order, and residents had been instructed to boil their water for months. Documents submitted during the abandonment process alleged that the system had gone without adequate chlorine and that the water was not considered safe to drink. State and county officials later worked to keep pumps operating, test the water and restore chlorine treatment while the legal process continued.
Colorado lawmakers had to change state law before Hartman could be dissolved quickly. Previous rules generally required officials to wait five years after a town stopped conducting official business before beginning an abandonment process. A law signed in May created an expedited route when a town has no functioning government, cannot hold an election and controls critical water infrastructure.
The legislation also authorized up to $100,000 in temporary state funding to operate and maintain a failing municipal water system while an abandonment application was being considered. Lawmakers argued that Hartman could not safely wait several years for the normal process because the town risked losing its ability to deliver running or treated water.
Under the state’s final order, public roads and other municipal property not owned by private parties will become the responsibility of Prowers County. The county will also temporarily receive control of the water infrastructure before transferring it to an organization whose primary purpose is treating or delivering water.
Some residents opposed the abandonment declaration. They argued that Hartman was not truly deserted and that state institutions should have helped residents rebuild their local government rather than dissolve it. People who testified against the petition said community members were still present, engaged and willing to participate in future elections.
Supporters of the decision said abandonment was the only available legal mechanism that allowed another public entity to take responsibility for the water system. Without the ruling, Hartman could have remained caught between municipal and county authority, with neither level of government clearly empowered to sign contracts or make long-term repairs.
The case highlights a larger vulnerability facing very small communities. Basic services such as water treatment require certified workers, regular testing, electricity, repairs and administrative oversight regardless of whether a town has 50 residents or 50,000. When a tiny tax base is combined with leadership disputes and aging infrastructure, even a relatively limited equipment failure can become an immediate public-health and governance emergency.
It is not yet clear how much repairing Hartman’s water system will ultimately cost, which organization will operate it permanently or how future expenses will be divided among residents, the county and the state. Residents could also face higher water bills if a new operator must recover the cost of bringing the system into compliance.
Why It Matters
Hartman’s dissolution shows how quickly the collapse of a small local government can threaten services that residents depend on every day. Safe drinking water, elections, road maintenance and public spending all require officials with legal authority to make decisions.
The case could also influence how Colorado and other states respond when very small towns can no longer afford or manage essential infrastructure. Taxpayers may ultimately be required to fund emergency intervention when a municipality’s leadership and utility systems fail at the same time.
What Comes Next
Prowers County is expected to assume temporary responsibility for Hartman’s public property and water infrastructure. Officials must then identify a qualified utility, neighboring jurisdiction or newly created authority capable of operating the system.
Residents will remain in the community, but they will no longer elect a Hartman mayor or board of trustees. Future attention will focus on repairing the water system, lifting any remaining safety restrictions and determining how the long-term cost will be financed.
Colorado formally dissolved Hartman’s municipal government after leadership resignations and a prolonged water crisis left the community unable to manage essential services.
Colorado has officially declared the town of Hartman abandoned after every single elected official resigned — leaving 30 residents with no functioning government and a water system the state now calls a “health hazard.”
The town’s three remaining trustees quit in January, one… pic.twitter.com/OH9Gpk0SxA
— Fox News US (@FoxUSNews) July 31, 2026
