Understanding ballot question 2C: Pueblo’s proposal to shift to city manager governance

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - A question posed on the City of Pueblo's November ballot is gaining traction in the community.

The ballot question is defined as this:

Ballot Question No. 2C - Charter Amendment - Change Form of Government to Council-Manager

Shall the Charter of the City of Pueblo be amended to change the form of government from a Council-Mayor government to a Council-Manager government, and in connection therewith: requiring that the City Council - City Manager form of government not be changed except by Charter Convention upon majority vote of qualified voters; eliminating the office of City Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff and establishing the office of City Manager to be selected by City Council, in which all executive and administrative powers of the City shall be vested; giving City Council the power to appoint all City Boards and Commissions whose members will be limited to four-year terms; removing the prohibition against City Council interfering in the removal of members of City Boards and Commissions; recognizing the President of the City Council as head of City government for all ceremonial purposes and authorizing the President of the City Council to execute and authenticate legal documents as may be required; giving the City Council the right to enforce its own ordinances; giving City Council the power to appoint the City Clerk and Municipal Court Judges; allowing current and former members of the City Council to become City Manager or City Employees after the first year following the expiration of their terms of office; authorizing City Council to direct the City Attorney to institute lawsuits; allowing the functions of the Department of Aviation be determined by Resolution; mandating that the City Council - City Manager form of government take effect immediately upon approval of this Charter Amendment by the registered Electors of the City of Pueblo and providing that the City Council shall appoint an Interim City Manager?
______ Yes/For
______ No/Against

KRDO13 spoke with the Mayor of Pueblo, Heather Graham, and a representative for the group Taxpayers for 2C, George Koncilja. The group is advocating for the city to return to a city manager style of government.

Mayor Heather Graham held a "Call to Action" press conference on Monday.

Tuesday morning, the Taxpayers for 2C group filed a campaign finance violation claim with the Secretary of State. The group accused Mayor Graham of using city resources and wasting taxpayer money to sway voters.

KRDO13 dug into the rules and regulations surrounding campaigns in local elections. We found the Department of Law Memorandum that gives guidelines for city elections. In short, this is how the fine print defines misuse of city resources and personnel.

State law prohibits government employees from using City resources to support or oppose a ballot measure or the election or defeat of a candidate at the federal, state, or local level. The City Regulations also prohibit City officers and employees from engaging in political activity during working hours or on City premises.

You can read the full document below.

KRDO13 brought this to the mayor, and she said that she never mentioned her campaign in the press conference.

"I even stated, you know, specifically that it wouldn't matter if it's me, a different mayor, or a city manager taking these steps to call into accountability and transparency what's been going on within the government," explained Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham.

The group advocating for a city manager disagrees.

"It was very clear what was being discussed yesterday. I think anybody with eyes and ears would know what that conversation was pertaining to," stated George Koncilja, a representative for Taxpayers for 2C.

Koncilja says the city needs an experienced manager from outside of Pueblo who doesn't want to get involved in the politics and drama.

"Hiring a city manager who's seen these things before gives us the chance to get creative options that have worked elsewhere and implement them here locally. And quite frankly, the mayoral form of government simply does not offer that option," explained Koncilja.

On the other hand, Mayor Graham points to the council, saying that any official would have to cooperate with them.

"The call to action was a call for people to get involved, right? To know what your city council is doing, to know what your mayor is doing. To know what your city manager is doing, if that's the case. What is your city staff doing? People want to know how their tax dollars are being spent. Where is your return on investment? That's what people want to know. And it's very hard when all of this is taking place every other Monday into wee hours of the night," stated Mayor Graham.

This is one of many ballot questions that Pueblo voters will ultimately decide in November.

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