Candidates show why they should be the next Pueblo city leaders
Seven candidates are racing for two at-large seats on Pueblo City Council.
Our partners at the Pueblo Chieftain held an open forum Thursday night for the at-large candidates.
Public safety was one of the topics tonight.
Candidates were asked if they would make cuts in the budget or have tax increases to pay for more Pueblo police officers.
Candidate Abel Laeke said he would support making cuts and increasing taxes since public safety should come first in Pueblo.
Candidate Ted Lopez said there could be other ways to get more officers on the streets, like having volunteers to take care of the administrative work.
Some on the forum want the people to decide if they want recreational marijuana shops in the city.
Candidate Brian Mater said if he was on city council he would take a closer look at the laws to get it out of the hands of children if shops are allowed in Pueblo.
Incumbent Chris Nicoll said voters should get the final call.
Lopez wants it should be legalized because it would bring in more money for the city.
“That increased tax should be brought in to enforce the laws, to help probably with the fallout there is probably going to be more social services needed for individuals that do partake in that,” he said.
More code enforcement officers and blight split the forum.
“Yes we need more code enforcement people if you’re going to keep throwing work at them and if you’re going to have more wet springs like we had this year,” candidate Larry Francher said.
Laeke said the city doesn’t need more code enforcement officers. It needs more people to start taking pride in their communities by forming groups to help clean up their own neighborhoods.
The forum participants also didn’t see eye-to-eye on mandatory trash collection.
Nicoll said he wants the people to choose their trash haulers and offer other affordable services for people to dump large items. Mater also said let the trash haulers compete for business. Winner said people should be able to choose their trash hauler.
Laeke said mandatory trash collection would help battle blight in Pueblo. Lopez also said there should be a designated trash hauler.
Winner also said in order to attract more people to Pueblo, he city needs to solve the blight and crime problems.
Mater said the city needs to work with the school district to improve education in order to bring more people to Pueblo.
Francher said to bring more people into Pueblo the city needs to pay promote other tourist attractions like the Weisbrod Aircraft Museum, the El Pueblo Museum and the Goodnight Barn.
Jim Sbarbaro was not at tonight’s forum.
