In 2019, Pueblo city voters opted to change its form of government from a city council-city manager form of government to that of a council-mayor form of government. As a result, the city elected its first mayor in more than a century.

Nick Gradisar was elected as the mayor and Heather Graham served simultaneously as president of the City Council. Graham opposed Gradisar in the 2023 election and defeated him by garnering 62% of the vote.

Nineteen months into her tenure as mayor and fewer than seven years after the change to the council-mayor form of government the Pueblo electorate is asked to determine if it suffers from “buyer’s remorse” by returning to the city council-city manager form of government via ballot Question 2C. The question was placed on the ballot by a 5-2 vote of City Council.

The measure was opposed and vetoed by Graham but overridden by the council. The vote reflected the contentious relationship and strife between the mayor’s office and City Council throughout Graham’s term. The term has been marked by several allegations of unethical conduct levelled at and by the mayor and at and by council members. The latest complaint, filed by Graham against Councilor Regina Maestri was dismissed by vote of council on Oct. 14.

Of interest is how Graham was previously threatened with a recall election that never gained traction, was time-consuming and costly. There are those who posit the ballot question serves the same purpose as a recall election and suggest it is, in fact, a referendum on Graham’s performance as mayor.

The pro-mayor faction claims having a mayor represents the democratic process of selecting the city’s leader by the direct vote of the people as opposed to the council-manager form which allows council to appoint someone answerable to them. The opposition counters a manager provides city council with the opportunity to select a professional who is knowledgeable about the workings of government rather than a “politician” which amounts to a popularity contest.

Only three cities in Colorado have a strong mayor form of government: Denver, Colorado Springs and Pueblo. The mayor has total control over all the city employees with enormous appointing authority to other city boards. The City Council is removed from any supervisory authority.

Under the council-manager form of government the council would select the city manager who would be responsible to carry out the policies of the council and report to the seven member council as opposed to one individual.

Graham has been a “strong mayor” in the true sense of the description by relying very little on anyone outside her small circle of closely chosen sycophants including the city attorney. She is seen by some as a condescending, abrasive and power-hungry leader. She has made several serious missteps during her short time as mayor.

Graham endorsed and received the support of City Council in May 2025, to place a question before the voters to determine if it was feasible for the city to cancel its franchise agreement with Black Hills Energy, the city’s electricity provider, and acquire the generation, transmission and distribution assets of Black Hills at the price of $1 billion. She supported the proposition although a similar proposal was soundly defeated by a margin of 77% to 23% five years earlier. The proposal was again defeated in 2025 by a vote of 78% to 22% after the city commissioned a study at the cost of $300,000 which determined it was not feasible. A strong mayor and responsible leader would never have endorsed such a dead loser.

In other head-shaking decisions, Mayor Graham led the charge to virtually gut non-profit funding which serve the most vulnerable populations, proposed at least a 3.5% sales tax on food — which was withdrawn after an enormous outcry from the citizenry but replaced with a ballot proposal increasing the city sales and use tax from 3.7% to 4.7%. Graham’s revenue generating proposals were apparently to address a budget deficit reported to be as high as $8.6 million.

According to city reporting, the outstanding city-debt total the last year of the council-manager form of government in 2017 was listed at $62.8 million. In December 2023, the city had a reported outstanding debt total of $128.6 million under the council-mayor form of government.

In recent weeks, Mayor Graham forced the resignation of Jerry Pacheco, former executive director of the Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority (PURA) after the local newspaper revealed a “scathing email” in which Graham alleged Pacheco had engaged in a “continued pattern of egregious unprofessional conduct.” Pacheco has an extensive background in city management and served 10 years in his capacity with PURA. Skeptics are convinced Graham will try to move PURA funds to the city’s general fund to soften the budget deficit.

Not to be deterred, Graham subsequently proposed to terminate the city’s partnership with the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation (PEDCO), effective Dec. 31. PEDCO was formed in 1981 to find money to support PEDCO and its economic development efforts. In 1984 the citizens voted to tax themselves with a half-cent sales tax for economic development incentives in support of PEDCO’s mission. Interestingly there is a ballot question asking the voters to extend the tax measure. It’s anybody’s guess what effect the current political climate will have on the outcome of the vote.

Many answers to the above drama will be provided on Nov. 4, 2025.

Dennis Maes served 24 years as a 10th Judicial District judge in Pueblo and was chief judge for 17 of those years. He previously served as director of Pueblo County Legal Services, Inc.; as a public defender and as an attorney in private practice.