Pueblo Mayor issues call to action over alleged city council dysfunction, developmental delays

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) – Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham held a press conference Monday afternoon to issue a "call to action," addressing what she described as significant internal dysfunction within the city council she says is hindering development and costing taxpayers thousands.

“While you, the taxpayers, are asleep after a long day's work or spending time with your families, City Council is undoing that hard work, destroying economic growth, disrespecting city staff and community partners, and violating the very values they swore to uphold,” Mayor Graham said during the conference.

You can watch the full livestream of the press conference above.

The call to action focused heavily on Mayor Graham’s concerns with the current city council, which she accused of stalling key infrastructure projects and blocking efforts aimed at improving the quality of life in Pueblo.

Infrastructure projects

Among the specific issues Graham highlighted was the city council's recent six-week delay and eventual rejection of a roof replacement project for four of the city's wastewater treatment buildings.

Graham says what "should have been a routine roof replacement" could now cost the city over $400,000 in lost insurance proceeds and further potential damage and loss of expensive lab equipment.

"Ask yourself this: if this was your own roof, would you wait through the winter months, chance of snow, wind, and other damage to your own home, or would you ensure you could safely protect your home? Yet, where is your government working on your behalf?" Graham said.

Graham also accused the city council of voting down projects that would benefit the city simply because they came from her office, such as neighborhood revitalization projects, a childcare center for city employees, and demolition plans for long-abandoned buildings.

"They continue to stifle development. Surely, you, as the citizens of Pueblo, simply cannot know this, because you would be as furious as I am, and would demand more of your government," Graham said.

Graham also criticized the council for a lack of policy action, claiming that only five policy changes have been passed since she took office, one of which she said landed the city in a lawsuit.

"This isn't about politics. This is about Pueblo's future, your future as a resident. Your government is supposed to protect our progress, not poison it," Graham said during the meeting.

Ethics complaints

Graham also cited long-standing problems with ethics and transparency, pointing to HR complaints filed by city staff, ethics complaints that have been dismissed without investigation (including one dismissed just last week), and allegations of councilmembers violating open meetings laws.

"Not one ethics violation has ever been investigated. Every single one dismissed, even when the city attorney said there was enough evidence to warrant an investigation in this case, council called it a political ploy." Graham said. "If ethics only apply when it's convenient, they don't exist at all. If there's nothing to hide, then why not prove it?"

In her call to action, Graham also accused the city council of breaking open meetings laws and making decisions "outside public view," though she did not provide examples during the conference.

She warned that these ongoing governance challenges are deterring economic development and discouraging potential investors from bringing projects to Pueblo, and urged residents to hold their city leaders accountable.

"I'm asking you to show up to city council meetings, call your city council representative, email your district and attend community meetings, speak out, vote," Graham said. "We need you to ask for the accountability in your local government that you deserve."

The Pueblo City Council has not yet responded to the claims made by Graham during Monday's conference. KRDO13 has reached out to the council's president and is awaiting a response.

Ongoing feud between Graham & City Council

Monday's conference marks only the latest episode of an ongoing feud between the mayor and the city council.

Earlier this year, the city council pushed for the city of Pueblo to reinstate a city manager-led form of government, effectively getting rid of the mayor's position.

In August, the council passed an ordinance to place a question on the November ballot allowing voters to decide whether to change the city’s form of government from its current "strong mayor" system back to the city manager model that the city used for decades.

READ MORE: Pueblo voters will now decide fate of the mayor’s office in November election

Mayor Graham has previously pushed back against this move, arguing that the city's current government structure is more accountable to voters.

"People voted to change to a strong Mayor because they were frustrated with the lack of leadership among council members," Graham wrote in a two-page letter in August. "City Council was unable to provide a unified, clear, and consistent path forward for the City. Nothing has changed."

That measure is set to appear on the ballot in Pueblo’s General Municipal Election on Nov. 4.

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