Candidates use forum to show why they should represent Pueblo’s districts

Seven candidates are competing for District 2 and 4 seats on city council.

Ray Aguliera and R. Kenneth O’Neal are competing for District 4’s seat, while Larry Atencio, Al Gurule, Arnold Montoya, Janet Wilson and Joseph Latino are in the race for District 2.

Our partners at the Pueblo Chieftain held an open forum Thursday night.

Candidates were asked about repealing binding arbitration and bringing in more police officers.

Wilson said unions are there to support employees.

“If citizens of Pueblo allowed to vote that in I would be reluctant to turn that over,” she said. Wilson also said the police department needs more officers but wouldn’t use a tax increase to bring more in because she said people would vote against new taxes.

Latino and Gurule also support binding arbitration. Gurule said public safety should be the No. 1 priority even if the city council has to dip into financial reserves. Latino said Pueblo needs volunteers for neighborhood patrols to help with the lack of officers and having police sub-stations in four parts of the city.

Atencio is against arbitration.

“Arbitration is rarely used when negotiating with our city unions,” he said.

O’Neal said it doesn’t matter how the deal gets done, getting more officers on the street should be top priority.

Aguliera said he’s against arbitration and it would be another way to split the city. He also said he wants to find ways to make the police more responsive to the neighborhoods. Aguliera said a big complaint in his neighborhood is slow response times from police for crimes.

Both O’Neal and Aguliera are against raising taxes to pay for more officers.

As for hiring more code enforcement officers to handle the blight problems in the city, Wilson said she would like to see groups volunteer help clean up neighborhoods.

Latino said he would help individual citizens who cannot afford to take care of their properties.

Atencio said he would be in favor of mandatory trash collection because it would help battle illegal dumping.

O’Neal said people are responsible for maintaining their own yards.

Aguliera said people in the county jail should be used to help improve the blight conditions in the city.

The only candidate against mandatory trash collection was O’Neal. He said the designated hauler would increase the rates.

The candidates also discussed recreational marijuana shops, improving roads and how to bring more businesses into Pueblo.

Arnold Montoya was not at Thursday’s forum.