Overview
- The Colorado Department of State issued a 15-page abandonment order on July 28 that formally declared Hartman abandoned and vested town streets and water infrastructure in Prowers County.
- All elected officials resigned in mid-January, leaving no municipal government able to approve contracts, run elections, or manage the water system.
- State filings and resident testimony say the town’s water was non-potable, lacked chlorine for over a month, and had been under a boil-water advisory for months, creating an immediate public-health hazard.
- Hartman had more than $1 million in reimbursement-based grants from state agencies but could not access the funds without a governing body; Prowers County must secure a qualified water-treatment operator before contracts and reimbursements can proceed.
- A law change in May 2026 sped the abandonment process for towns that lack officials and own critical water infrastructure, and some residents are now demanding criminal accountability for prior local leaders while civil or criminal claims remain unresolved.