The Mayor's Mixtape
Mayor Heather Graham's weekly brief of current events related to the City of Pueblo.
The Mayor's Mixtape
The Mayor's Mixtape-Episode 30
It's the 30th episode of the Mayor's Mixtape! Thank you for listening, liking, sharing and subscribing. Get the podcast wherever you find your favorite podcasts on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, Buzzsprout or watch on local Channel 17. Send your questions or topic suggestions to mayor@pueblo.us.
This week's episode focuses on the City budget--what's the timeline? When is it passed? What are the roles of City Council and what is the role of the Mayor? The budget will presented to City Council on October 14, with a Work Session on October 20, a public hearing with the first reading on November 10 and final approval of the budget is November 24.
All right, welcome to the 30th episode of the Mayor's Mixtape. I am Haley Sue Robinson, the Director of Public Affairs for the City of Pueblo.
Mayor, Heather Graham:City of Pueblo Mayor Heather Graham.
Haley Sue Robinson:Can you believe we've had 30 episodes, Mayor?
Mayor, Heather Graham:No time flies.
Haley Sue Robinson:I know this is crazy.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Time flies when you're having fun.
Haley Sue Robinson:Yeah, absolutely. I want to remind you that you can find this podcast on Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Buzzsprout wherever you get your podcasts, you can like, subscribe and share with your friends, or you can also watch on local channel 17. And don't forget if you have questions or want to suggest a topic, you can email us, mayor@pueblo. us. Okay, let's get into the City Council recap. Mayor Graham, last night at City Council work session, there was a presentation from city staff regarding the non-departmental contract for the Humane Society of the Pikes Peak Region, or HSPPR. Can you talk a little bit about the non-departmental contractual agreement process?
Mayor, Heather Graham:Sure, so in last year's budget, when I presented the budget to City Council, we went through and went through all of our non-profits, our non-departmentals. We had a nonprofit coordinator at the time where we required reporting, financial statements, audits, narratives, major contributors, board roles, really to get a better idea of who the city is giving money to and then what they're using that money for. So after this process, there were several nonprofits that either didn't resubmit or that were chosen not to be funded for various reasons. So I took that budget to City Council, still funding some of our nonprofits in our community which weren't typically funded through the city's regular budget process. So usually you would go through the CSAC process which is regulated by the Citizens Advisory Group. So this year's budget, in my proposal, I have sent a letter in June directing all nonprofits to apply through CSAC, not through the city of Pueblo any longer, the way that we used to do it many years ago, to eliminate the direct ask of just coming to the mayor's office, right, so now it goes to a committee. It's fair, it's equitable.
Mayor, Heather Graham:They decide which nonprofits should receive the funding so
Haley Sue Robinson:They look through that same or a similar process that you listed as far as um their financial statements, who's on their board and and all of that documentation. They do that through CSAC, correct?
Mayor, Heather Graham:It's a board, though it's not just one person the mayor, right. So I think that that's more fair, more equitable. They also have goals that they're trying to fund to for needs in the community that they feel are the largest needs in the year when they do the funding requests. So all of the non-profits now have to go through CSAC. So then the other side of what we call non-departmentals, which are also nonprofits, but they're nonprofits who provide operations to the City of Pueblo, like the zoo. So the zoo is owned by the City of Pueblo, but we have an operations contract with the nonprofit who runs the zoo. So the zoo, HSPPR, the harp authority, the Colorado State Fair, the chamber, uh, Beulah Mountain Park and Nature Center, and Weisbrod Aircraft Museum at the airport. So those non-profits who are non-departmentals, contractual agreements with the city, because you have some contract of some sort, um those contracts.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Over the last several months we've taken a deep dive into what those contracts are. Some of those contracts are renew every year. Some of the contracts are on a three-year um, like HSPPR. So their contract this is their last year of their three-year contract, okay, um. So we sat down, met with each of the uh groups from non-profits really went over. Does language need to be changed in your contract? What do the increases look like? What does your contract value look like? What is the city receiving for the amount of money that we pay?
Mayor, Heather Graham:So, everybody except for the zoo and HSPPR, when I requested that they reduce their budget by 15%, they were able to do so. So their submission to the city was at a reduction rate of 15% already. The zoo was not at a reduced rate, but we've been able to work with the zoo and City Council. We'll be seeing their contracts soon. We have subsidized some of their ask with our city department actually doing the work at the zoo maintenance, those types of issues to reduce that gap and HSPPR ask was actually an additional 20 percent over this year's contract. So we sat down, had lots of meetings with them and by lots I mean two, so not a lot um. You know lots of email conversations about you know how can we also get you at this reduced rate, um, and still be able to provide services and needs the community.
Mayor, Heather Graham:So, because this was a negotiated contract, I took this to City Council last Monday night in executive session, made the presentation and then they asked that we come before the public and present the same information that we presented Monday night last night. So we were really looking for some kind of direction from City Council but unfortunately there was really no direction given, other than they want HSPPR to come next Monday to explain their needs and their increases for the 20% over this year's budget. We don't know if we're going to have a multi-year contract. We don't know if it's going to be 20% each year for three years. We haven't even got that far. So that is what that presentation was about last night. It was about trying to get direction from City Council. City Council gave zero direction. So it would appear that I'll just be making a recommendation through the budget process, but the recommendation is based off of what City Council wants to see in the 2026 budget, and that's a 15% reduction.
Haley Sue Robinson:Okay, so that was one thing that was talked about a lot last night was the 15% cuts across all departments. And then you mentioned a 15% decrease for non-departmental or these contractual agreements. Where did the 15 percent come from?
Mayor, Heather Graham:Sure, so shoot, maybe in April or May, early in the year. Um and I actually believe it was supposed to be a talking um subject from the City Council's retreat in February, um that they moved to a regular city council work session. So there was discussion from each of the counselors on giving the direction to the mayor on what would they like to see in the 2026 budget. Right, is it an increase in something? Is it a decrease in something? Is it removal of funding for all nonprofits? Is it a 5% increase to nonprofits? What does that look like If you were the person proposing the budget, what do you want to see?
Mayor, Heather Graham:So they went person by person. Some of the city councilors didn't answer the question. Some said I want a balanced budget. That's not going to happen. Some said I want a 10%, but Councilor Gomez said that they wanted a 15% decrease and so that was the largest decrease. So that is what I took as direction from City Council. There was conversation last night from President Aliff saying you know well, maybe we wanted a 15% decrease overall, and then I reminded him that I had come and presented to City Council about quality life services and what it would look like if we had to cut part-time employees, because you can't do a 15% reduction in wages without cutting all of the city's part-time employees. So that was presented in June of this year to City Council talking about that reduction. So this 15% specifically came from Roger Gomez.
Haley Sue Robinson:And that. So really it's a 15% in operational costs, not in that's excluding our wages or salaries. Also, would that exclude health care or benefits type?
Mayor, Heather Graham:Yep, can't cut wages, can't cut health care, can't cut benefits without laying employees off, without cutting all part-time positions first, and then the city would still have to pay unemployment. You might have to pay severance pay. So I don't know, I don't know how that would even out if we were to look at a cut like that.
Haley Sue Robinson:Okay, another thing that you mentioned last night is that the budget is going to come before City Council on October 14th.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Yeah
Haley Sue Robinson:Is that a typical timeline for the budget? Um, and can you kind of walk us through the budget timeline?
Mayor, Heather Graham:Yeah, let me read it to you right here. So this is the city charter, right?
Mayor, Heather Graham:so this is, yeah, this is my city charter book with all my notes in it, all my colors, so I can refer back to when City Council has a question about authority or the law. So I carry this around with me Like the Bible. I think you know Counselor Maestri said make sure you get out there and you know, read that charter as if it were the Bible if you're going to run for City Council. So we'll see right here in part one budget, uh, section seven, dash two submission of the budget. Not later than the first regular meeting of the City Council in October of each year, the mayor shall submit to City Council. So the first regular meeting, um, in October of this year is going to be October 14th, Tuesday, October 14th. So City Council will have a hard copy of my proposed 2026 budget at their desk.
Mayor, Heather Graham:That is me submitting the budget to them. So we'll give them a week, about a week, to look through all of the information that I have presented. We've had over 26 budget meetings. Unfortunately, City Council has not participated in those meetings, and so they're going to have a lot to catch up on. And then on October 20th I will be taking a 90 minute slot presentation of the work session and presenting the entire budget to City Council.
Haley Sue Robinson:So the budget gets presented on the 14th. You don't have a work session presented that night. You will give it to them
Mayor, Heather Graham:Please review, okay, read, read, yeah, know what we're discussing. Before we get to the 20th
Haley Sue Robinson:and then on the 20th you'll have a work session presentation
Mayor, Heather Graham:Yep, and that's when they can ask questions.
Haley Sue Robinson:Okay,
Mayor, Heather Graham:They can make recommendations. Um, they could ask about the capital. The capital projects will also be presented at that time. Um, yeah.
Haley Sue Robinson:Okay, so, um, when we talk about the, the 15 percent uh operating cost decrease, is that set in stone at this point, or what does that look like?
Mayor, Heather Graham:It's already done. So, um, the directors.
Mayor, Heather Graham:The department heads submitted their budgets to me already with a 15% decrease in operating. I think it's going to roughly save the city about $2 million um and a decrease of 15% for operations only.
Mayor, Heather Graham:We're also going to look at freezing and unfunding positions, like we did last year. Um, um. There's also some lottery funds that can also come and help subsidize the budget and the parks department. As far as wages go, we believe there's some 911 funds that we can also use to help subsidize the police department's budget, and so we're still working through all of that. But you know, if you follow the sales tax reports right, we post those, City Council receives those every month.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Um, you can see, I think, that we are still at a 1.2 percent decrease overall from 2024, right? So we know that this year's budget was based off of a flat sales tax increase to the city. So now, if we know we're at a 1.2 percent decrease, you know in 2024 you already had almost a nine million dollar deficit, right? So that deficit doesn't go anywhere. That carries on until January of 2025.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Um, and as we increase wages for 2026, you need to account for those. So City Council approved the PAGE increase last night. It was about $1.1 million for general service employees. They've already approved police and fire earlier in the year. I think total wages for all three of those unions were between three and four million. So you take the nine and then you add three to four, right? So you kind of know where we are with our deficit.
Mayor, Heather Graham:If sales tax doesn't change and I don't think that it's, I don't feel confident that that's going to happen over these next few months. October is always a very slow month. November and December you have sometimes an increase because of the holidays, Christmas shopping, et cetera, sure. And so City Council should already kind of know where the budget, where the deficit is going to lie for 2026's budget, and that's exactly why I have come to the City Council presenting different avenues for different revenue sources, whether that's reinstating the street utility fee, we talked about potentially taxing items that are exempt right now, such as food, and now we have a 1% sales tax increase on the ballot for November 4th. So these are some of the ways that the city can generate additional revenue to help with this budget deficit.
Haley Sue Robinson:Okay, so you've outlined that you will present the budget to City Council the 14th. There will be a work session October 20th. If folks don't tune into the 14th or the 20th, are there other ways that they can see the proposed budget or how can folks stay informed about the upcoming budget process?
Mayor, Heather Graham:We'll have it online. Once we have this, the actual number for 2026. We have to plug in some additional information after last night's City Council meeting. With the wage increases for PAGE Um, I think that we can start talking through, um what each line means. Um, what that means for you as a citizen. Um, talk a little bit about our reserves, what that could potentially look like for 2027 budget. Um, and what it could potentially look like if the 1% sales tax passes, what those dollars would amount to, what the city would plan to do with them.
Mayor, Heather Graham:So if people are looking, yeah, I would encourage you to watch the October 20th. At this time I'm not slated to present any other time to City Council on the budget. I took their direction from their budget work session. I did exactly what was asked to do with making additional cuts in other places in the budget, which I'll be presenting to them, and then there will be a budget hearing in November that the community can come and they can speak at. If there's something you don't like in the budget or you have questions, you can always call my office. I'm happy to sit down and talk budget with any citizen, or you can come to the public hearing and voice your concerns. So City Council will have the full budget, as proposed, the 14th. They'll have the work session the 20th and it'll have to be passed second reading in November.
Haley Sue Robinson:Okay, and that second reading in November is after the public hearing or the same week?
Mayor, Heather Graham:After the public hearing.
Haley Sue Robinson:Yeah, so the public hearing will be that um second Monday in November and then the budget will pass the fourth Monday in November. Okay, I think another thing I'd like to ask, Mayor, is there was a little bit of confusion last night about your role and City Council's role for the budget. Can, can you walk us through what that looks like, or why or how those, those roles are delineated for citizens?
Mayor, Heather Graham:Yeah, so again in our charter under article four, Mayor.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Okay, section four, dash four duties of the Mayor. Um d. Uh, one of my duties is to prepare the budget annually and submit it to City Council and be responsible for its administration, uh, for its adoption. So it is my duty to put the budget together, meet with the directors. Um, when it talks about section 7-5, departmental estimates, the head of each department office or agency shall submit to the Mayor. At such date, the Mayor shall determine estimates of revenues, expenditures for that department office or agency. So that's talking about when the department directors come to me with their asks, which has already happened. Such estimates shall be submitted upon the forms furnished by the Mayor and shall contain all of the information which he or she, this needs to say she, she may require.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Um, so that is you know. That is when I am saying I want you to cut your budget by 15 percent. Um, and bring that to me, okay, um, the Mayor shall review the estimates and, in preparing the budget, may revise them as he or she seems advisable. So, um, this is the process where we really sit down with finance. Because we've already put out 15 reduction, we're not doing any reclassifications, merit increases etc. To try to keep the numbers down.
Haley Sue Robinson:You're not doing any of those things.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Yes, so this is kind of where I give the direction to finance on what I want to see. And then this is where we talk about capital requests in the city. So the city is allowed to use the half-cent tax, so the PEDCO money right, that's what everybody calls it um, the interest that's earned, uh, off of that money. So the the account has between 70 and 80 million dollars in there right now, and so the city is allowed to use that interest, um to do capital improvements for that year. So this year we're thinking that that interest, because of the high amount, is going to be about $3.5 million. So that's what we know we're going to be able to spend on capital expenditures. So you know, that's maybe where we talk about our roads, any kind of infrastructure repairs, capital projects that we need to see done in that year.
Haley Sue Robinson:Public improvements.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Public improvements. That's where that money comes from. So that's not necessarily coming straight out of general fund. It's coming off the interest that's earned from the 413 account, the PEDCO money.
Haley Sue Robinson:Got it.
Mayor, Heather Graham:And that's really what that's talking about in the departmental estimates about what we want to see for 2026's budget as far as capital. So then, when this budget comes to City Council this is section 7-10, changes by the City Council. After conclusion of the public hearing which we talked about, where the community can come, the council may insert new items of expenditure or may increase, decrease or strike out items of expenditure, except that no item of appropriation for debt service shall be reduced. So if the city has loans or COPs, which we do, right. So PMJC, the air conditioner and PBR or cab, or that's why our new buildings, fire stations, yeah.
Mayor, Heather Graham:So we have to service that debt. So they can't reduce the payments on that debt, right, because we'll go into default. So they can address any other line item after that public hearing, right? So we ask that when they do want to make an adjustment, that they come prepared in what they're actually asking for, because you can't just say hey, I want to increase the planning department's budget by $200,000. The appropriate way would be like I would like to take $200,000 out of the reserves and then put it in the planning. So that is their job, that's their side. When they come and try to adjust my proposed budget is they have a plan on where those revenues are going to come from, what expenditure line they want to see, and then my staff will help them put that together. But we need to know where the idea is coming from.
Haley Sue Robinson:So there is a way for the budget to be changed, so once you propose it, it's not like
Mayor, Heather Graham:Set in stone.
Haley Sue Robinson:We just have to we don't have to just go through and say, yeah, that's great, we love it.
Haley Sue Robinson:I mean, if there are things in there someone wants park improvements, someone wants to allocate extra dollars to roads, or whatever that may look like or, based potentially on the feedback from the public, from the public hearing, if they hear of something in particular that would benefit code enforcement or the police department or the planning department, they then have the opportunity to bring that forward and make a change or suggest a change to update the budget.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Yep, and then they have to get three other people to agree right. And get that amendment made to the marriage proposed budget, so they have an opportunity to change it on the fly. It's not something that we recommend. It's essentially why I have invited them to all of the budget meetings, right so we can have these discussions, before it's binded in the book, about what City Council wants to see.
Mayor, Heather Graham:That's why we had the budget work session and asked you know, do you want decreases, increases? What do you want? We want 15%. That's what's built into this budget. So, um, it's really, you know, it's really it's about being a good steward and um, having discussions before you get to, um, you know, the second reading in November where you're trying to make amendments to, uh, the city's most you know, second most important document, next to the charter. If the budget isn't passed, essentially the government stops yeah um so, and it could it could hurt our, our credit report if it's not passed by that second meeting in November as well. So we just ask the City Council if you're going to participate, participate now, not the last meeting in November. That happened last year and it was a little bit of a cluster.
Mayor, Heather Graham:So another reason why we've encouraged City Council to be part of the budget preparations early on.
Haley Sue Robinson:And um, you were on City Council previously, before you were the Mayor. What did it look like when you were on council and your role in the budget, or how did you approach it?
Mayor, Heather Graham:Yeah, so when I was on City Council um, actually my first year on City Council um, to get a better understanding of the budget and the process, I created the budget committee. It was a committee that was passed via resolution and it was me and Vicente Martinez-Ortega. Actually, he was on the budget committee as well and we had discussions with the previous Mayor, previous chief of staff. We were able to talk about the non-departmental ask, receive the information beforehand, meet with the non-profits, meet with the departments if we had questions, and so it's such a very important thing to that you vote on right. Um, I, I know that when I was on City Council, I didn't know all 8 000 lines of the budget, but I mean, you could flip it over and know on, uh, page one, what you were looking at, what your revenues, what your expenditures were, what your transfers out were, um, what your what makes up your revenues right?
Mayor, Heather Graham:Is that sales tax? Is it a portion of property tax? Is it fines and fees? What does that look like? And so, um, I know that that's not happening now, uh, with City Council. I'm not having those discussions, so I don't know how they would be getting that information, but I think that it's important, as an elected official and somebody who has a serious vote on how multi-millions of dollars are going to be spent into the next year, that you participate and that you get your information and that you go line by line to understand what you're looking at and what you're voting on and if you don't understand then you pick up the phone and you call me
Haley Sue Robinson:Okay, so there there are ways, um, to be involved in the budget process prior to the budget being presented.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Yep.
Haley Sue Robinson:Okay, great. Anything else about the budget that you think people need to know?
Mayor, Heather Graham:I mean, there's so much right, it's 8 000 line items. Um, how it all works together and how it's connected is, you know, pretty incredible when it comes to city staffs, projects, operations of the city, things that people probably don't even think that the city does but we have to allocate funding for.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Uh, so it's a big deal but we're happy to you know, discuss, meet with citizens if they want to hear about the budget and the budget process, meet with city councilors, meet with whoever wants to talk about it, because, um, I love numbers and I love the budget process and, um, it's fascinating and so if you want to be involved, you know the time. The time's probably now to be involved
Haley Sue Robinson:Okay, great. Well, we'll look forward to um the budget process, but also publicizing on the website where the proposed budget is so that folks can stay involved, encourage them to come to upcoming meetings and ask questions if they have them. Speaking of upcoming events, we have we actually have two more town halls for you, Mayor.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Oh yeah, we got a request.
Haley Sue Robinson:We got a request. Yeah, so we have one this Wednesday, tomorrow at Barkman Library at 5:30. That's for District 1 in the Minnequa Works Credit Union Community Room. And then CSU Pueblo asked for a student town hall.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Yeah, so cool.
Haley Sue Robinson:Which was really cool. They reached out to us and said, hey, would the Mayor come to campus? And you said yes, of course. So that will be on Tuesday, October 7th, also at 530. And tentatively in the Occhiato Student Center in the ballroom. So that's an opportunity, for I believe, when we spoke to them, that it would be open to the public but primarily focused on maybe what the students want to ask,
Mayor, Heather Graham:and there's going to be one more town hall. I haven't told you about it yet. Okay. it's October 2nd
Mayor, Heather Graham:We have Chief Noeller and I have been requested to join Zach, County Commissioner Swearingen and Dave Lucero, our sheriff, to talk about public safety and safety in schools kind of what our SROs do in the schools that they're in and so that is going to be October 2nd at 530 at the Arts Center
Haley Sue Robinson:Oh, great.
Mayor, Heather Graham:to have discussions about public safety. So I just haven't told you yet. But it's coming up now
Haley Sue Robinson:We're telling everybody so that'll be great.
Mayor, Heather Graham:It'll be a good one.
Haley Sue Robinson:So that'll be a city county joint effort specifically on public safety,
Mayor, Heather Graham:Public safety and public safety in schools
Haley Sue Robinson:Yep, okay.
Haley Sue Robinson:Well, that's an exciting opportunity. Yeah, okay. Um, speaking of also upcoming events, this weekend we have the Pueblo Wings of Pride. Um, that's September 27th and 28th, out at Pueblo Memorial Airport. I did see a post yesterday. Um, the gold club tickets are out. They're sold out. Uh, there's actually a couple opportunities still for some of the other higher level ticket prices, but then, um, plenty of plenty of parking and tickets available for everyone else who wants to come. Uh, US Air Force thunderbirds will be in town, the golden knights will be here and they have lots of static displays and other fun things to see for the air show. So we're looking forward to that. Anything else we need to know about Mayor?
Mayor, Heather Graham:Seem like everybody enjoyed the Chili Fest.
Haley Sue Robinson:Yeah, I mean, you were out there this weekend. What did you think?
Mayor, Heather Graham:It was great. Tons of people.
Haley Sue Robinson:Yeah.
Mayor, Heather Graham:Smelled really good.
Haley Sue Robinson:Smelled really good.
Mayor, Heather Graham:lots of visitors into the community. The weather was nice, so um chamber did a great job with that event. They I saw their volunteers and their employees.
Haley Sue Robinson:They work really hard.
Mayor, Heather Graham:They had to work like 200 hours over the weekend, they were there non-stop so
Haley Sue Robinson:I don't know if they slept at all. I actually, uh, I was talking with Donielle from the chamber and I said, rather than counting how many hours you worked, maybe we should just count the hours you slept is it like five or something um. So yeah, I know they work really hard.
Mayor, Heather Graham:The balloons, those. That was awesome.
Haley Sue Robinson:The balloon fest.
Mayor, Heather Graham:They think they went off every day, right Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which is is unheard of because usually one of the days it gets weather.
Haley Sue Robinson:Windy. It's really hard that early in the morning. I know there were some folks who were a little bit disappointed. By Saturday evening the balloon glow but there was lightning and so that's a safety concern. But you could see the balloons Friday, Saturday, Sunday morning. I know both Councilor Boston and Councilor Martinez. Both got to go up and see the city from a different viewpoint and we saw lots of folks just excited to see balloons all over the city. So it was really fun.
Mayor, Heather Graham:It was cool, yeah.
Haley Sue Robinson:It was very fun,
Mayor, Heather Graham:not something you see every day.
Haley Sue Robinson:No, but 31st Annual Chile and frijole festival and
Mayor, Heather Graham:lot of 30s this week right?
Haley Sue Robinson:There are a lot
Mayor, Heather Graham:30th podcast. 31st chili fest and it's a lucky number.
Haley Sue Robinson:Yeah, it's exciting.
Haley Sue Robinson:Okay, okay, well, uh. I think that wraps us up for the podcast this week. Would like to remind the listener, you can listen on Apple, Spotify, Buzzsprout, YouTube. You can also find us on local channel 17. And if you have questions or topic suggestions, or you want to talk about the budget, or if you want to talk about the budget, you can email us, mayor@ pueblo. us, and we'll see you next week.