Pueblo’s game changer: 2C asks who should run the city—a professional or a politician

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice

Pueblo is about to decide–as Randy Thurston puts it—whether power belongs to a politician or a professional. On Unleashed with Heidi Ganahl: Pueblo pushback: the mayor, the vote & the battle for Colorado’s soul, Thurston, a former city councilman and broker called 2C “one of the most massive game changers” Pueblo has faced in decades.

If approved, 2C would eliminate the strong-mayor system adopted seven years ago and return the city to a professional manager model—where council hires an administrator to run daily operations instead of leaving those duties to one elected office.

“There are historic moments in every community, and this is one of the most massive game changers that’s on the table here,” Thurston said. “The question really is, do we keep the mayor that we’ve had for seven years, or do we go back to a professional city manager who actually has the skill set and understanding to deal with the issues of running a government—rather than a political person making political decisions.”

The battle over Pueblo’s direction

Ganahl framed the episode around Pueblo’s political shift, calling it “one of the most conservative spots in Colorado” that “turned red in the last election,” crediting voters who “wanted to pull power back from Denver.”

Thurston said the mood in Pueblo has changed since Graham took office, describing “fear and control” that’s gripped local government. “I’m gonna give you a sense of the energy in this community,” he said. “Since the mayor’s been here, it’s vindictiveness. If you don’t support the mayor, you’re automatically the enemy. She publicly creates situations that have everybody afraid. Good people wanna do the right thing. But if you’ve a different viewpoint of what’s good for Pueblo… she’s a hundred percent right.”

He called it “a hunger for power” and said that kind of leadership “doesn’t want anybody feeling comfortable to come up and share a different viewpoint.”

‘You never balance your budget off rainy day money’

Thurston warned that Pueblo’s financial footing has deteriorated under Graham’s leadership. “We’ve had close to $63 million in deficits,” he said. “Before that, we didn’t tap into the reserves at all.”

He pointed to raises for Graham’s senior staff even as the city ran a deficit. “She knew how much money was gone from the reserves,” he said. “She gave department heads massive raises—twenty-five to forty thousand dollars in a single year.”

He called it “out-of-control spending,” adding that a professional city manager would “right-size government, get rid of the waste and stop rewarding inefficiency.”

“One thing I learned when I was on city council,” he continued, “you never, ever, ever balance your budget off rainy day money.”

The 7 million Riverwalk deal and ‘the mayor’s mansion’

Thurston said the Riverwalk purchase showed how Mayor Heather Graham misused taxpayer money. After a private buyer purchased the building for six million, “Heather turned around and bought it for seven million, paying him a million dollars just to sign paperwork,” he said.

Locals now call it “the mayor’s mansion.” “It’s taxpayer dollars,” Thurston added. “Heather would never spend her own money on that. That’s what’s crazy about politicians—they spend money and treat it like monopoly money on things they would never, ever consider spending their own money on because it’s not.”

He said that disconnect showed Graham was “taking advantage of her power” and ignoring ordinary fiscal restraint. “Instead of right-sizing government, now she’s got this beautiful building on the Riverwalk that costs taxpayers millions.”

Thurston noted that the deal took prime space off the tax rolls and discouraged private projects. “That’s not progress. That’s government crowding out opportunity,” he said.

The 8.8 million HVAC emergency

Thurston cited an 8.8 million dollar HVAC purchase approved in an emergency meeting that bypassed bidding. “Eight point eight million dollars for an air conditioning,” he said. “She did it as an emergency meeting.”

He said the decision showed poor judgment with taxpayer money. “It wasn’t her money—it was the taxpayers’ money,” he said. “To do an emergency meeting, it better be an emergency.” Thurston argued the issue had been known for years and should have gone through normal bidding.

The proposed 1 percent sales tax

“Heather wants to pass a 1 percent sales tax, anticipating it’s gonna raise 26 million a year,” Thurston said. “That’s money sucked out of small businesses, restaurants and people buying cars—all to feed big government.”

Fear, control and the flow of information

Thurston said the problem goes beyond policy—it’s about transparency. “They do not control the facts that need to be out there for the citizens,” he said, referring to Mayor Heather Graham and her senior staff. He explained that those in charge of the microphone decide what the public hears while residents are left in the dark.

Thurston said the only real solution is open debate. “All of it’s verifiable, and everything I’m saying I want people to verify for themselves,” he said. “I’d love the mayor to come on and challenge, have a debate with me and bring the facts to prove I’m wrong.” He added that if Graham were “being honest and for the citizens, she should have no problem defending her position.”

A call for courage and change

If 2C passes, Thurston said change would come fast. “There will be a lot of efforts to right the ship,” he said. “Professional people that are qualified—they have the skill set, the experience in taking on all aspects of government. Hopefully we’ll see audits, because people want to know where 63 million went that came out of the rainy day fund.”

He said Pueblo’s future depends on professional leadership over political power. “There has to be a change,” he said. “The majority of people I talk to want a change, and now is their chance for their voice to be heard.”

Thurston added that a city manager would focus on accountability and rebuilding trust. “You get a professional and not a politician,” he said. “You have the citizens’ best interest. You want to be transparent and let the citizens know everything that’s going on. You’re not making presentations that lack valuable information for council to make decisions off of. All of a sudden, things change.”

The full discussion can be heard in Unleashed with Heidi Ganahl: Pueblo pushback: the mayor, the vote & the battle for Colorado’s soul.