PUEBLO, Colo. (KOAA) — Pueblo residents will vote Tuesday on whether to eliminate the mayor's office and switch to a city manager form of government through Ballot Measure 2C.
The measure would change how the City of Pueblo operates by removing the elected mayor position and establishing a city manager, which would be chosen by city council.
Voting yes on 2C would eliminate the mayor's office in the City of Pueblo, which includes the deputy mayor and chief of staff. It would then establish the office of a city manager. The city manager would be chosen by the city council.
According to the 2C ballot language, if 2C is passed and the election is certified, the city manager form of government would take effect immediately, meaning Mayor Heather Graham would be out of office.
It states, "city council would appoint a city employee as interim city manager. Then the city council would begin a nationwide search for a permanent city manager."
"Now there are several employees within the City of Pueblo that would be very, very good at this position. There's tenured employees that understand all the different departments, fully capable of serving in that capacity,” said George Koncilja with Taxpayers for 2C.
However, Mayor Graham disagrees and is concerned about who would take over the responsibilities.
"I don't think that's a good plan. I'm not happy with that plan. The community shouldn't be happy with that plan. There's a lot of unknowns," Graham said. “I want to know who is going to be in charge of the government if it is not me,”
Supporters of a city manager and the group Taxpayers for 2C said the mayor position has hurt Pueblo taxpayers and stalled growth in the city. Koncilja argues that a city manager would bring professional business expertise to city operations.
"So, a city manager inherently is a trained professional expert in what they do. They went to school to study civic discourse, how efficient governments run," said Koncilja. “What we need in Pueblo is an expert to navigate us through the varieties and multiple issues we have. Right now, we have a financial burden on our shoulders. We’ve got a crime problem that is pervasive throughout the entire city, and both of those issues need to be tackled head on by professionals who understands how to get us from A to B, and do it in an efficient manner.”
He believes the current mayor system has made poor financial decisions.
"Spending on things that are unnecessary, knowing the financial hardships that we're currently facing. It's just decisions that are irresponsible, ones that would have not been made by a professional manager. And I think it's time that we get the train back on the tracks so that we can make the city into what we all know it can be," said Koncilja.
Graham said the city has improved under a mayoral form of Government.
"At this point, it's like more of a facade. I truly think that this is about me and removing me out of office. But instead, they're going to change the government. They're going to change the progress that we've seen happening in our community over the last seven years. And they're going to take significant steps back," said Graham.
Mayor Graham challenged voters to consider whether the city has improved since the mayor role took place. Graham said vote no on 2C.
"If you're satisfied with what you've seen over the last seven years, if you're satisfied with new infrastructure, hiring of more police officers, new development being brought into the community, not doing the things that we've done for many, many years just because that's the way that they've done it. If you're okay with that, if you like the change up, then vote no on 2C,” said Graham. “If you want to continue to go back to a stagnant community by four city councilors, then select changing the government back to a city manager, city council, run a form of government."
Koncilja said vote yes on 2C.
"Look around and think back to seven years ago and think, are we really in a better place now than we were seven years ago? Because I just don't see anybody that could look around and say that we are," said Koncilja.
A "no" vote on 2C would maintain the current mayor position.
The election is next Tuesday and results will be posted here.
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