City of Pueblo to Have Six Ballot Measures Included in November 2025 Election

PUEBLO-The City of Pueblo submitted the certified ballot content to be included for the 2025 City of Pueblo Regular Municipal Election. City Clerk Marisa Stoller submitted the information to Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder Candace Rivera on Sept. 5. This protocol is followed per the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) for election services between the City of Pueblo and Pueblo County which allows for a coordinated election. The following ballot measures and approved language will appear on the ballot for the Nov. 4, 2025, election. They can also be found online at Elections page "Ballot Question 2025."

QUESTION NO. 2A - CITY OF PUEBLO SALES AND USE TAX INCREASE FOR THE GENERAL FUND

SHALL THE CITY OF PUEBLO SALES AND USE TAX BE INCREASED AN ESTIMATED $26,142,985.56 ANNUALLY IN THE FIRST FISCAL YEAR BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2026, AND BY SUCH AMOUNTS AS ARE RAISED ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, BY AN INCREASE IN THE CITY'S SALES AND USE TAX RATE FROM 3.7% TO 4.7%, BY ADOPTING ORDINANCE NO. 11000, AND SUCH ADDITIONAL 1% IN SALES AND USE TAX REVENUE TO BE COLLECTED RETAINED AND SPENT AS A VOTER APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE NOTWITHSTANDING ANY REVENUE OR EXPENDITURE LIMIT CONTAINED WITHIN ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION, OR ANY OTHER LAW?
______ YES/FOR
______ NO/AGAINST

QUESTION NO. 2B - EXTENSION OF THE ONE-HALF CENT SALES TAX FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

WITHOUT RAISING ADDITIONAL TAXES, SHALL THE EXISTING ONE-HALF PERCENT CITY SALES AND USE TAX RATE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BE EXTENDED FOR A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD FROM ITS CURRENT EXPIRATION OF DECEMBER 31, 2026 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2031 BY ADOPTING ORDINANCE NO. 11001, AND THE REVENUES THEREFROM TO BE SPENT TOGETHER WITH ALL INVESTMENT INCOME THEREON AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE AND AN EXCEPTION TO THE LIMITS WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE APPLY PURSUANT TO ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION OR ANY OTHER LAW, AND BY CONTINUING TO DEDICATE THE REVENUES FROM THE ONE-HALF PERCENT SALES AND USE TAX RATE FOR PRIMARY JOBS, CREATING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS WITHIN THE CITY AND THE PUEBLO MEMORIAL AIRPORT BOUNDARIES, CREATING A SPECIAL FUND FOR THE DEPOSIT OF SUCH REVENUES, AND BY CONTINUING TO DEPOSIT REVENUES FROM THE ONE-HALF PERCENT SALES AND USE TAX RATE INTO A SPECIAL FUND FOR THE DEPOSIT OF SUCH REVENUES TO BE USED CONSISTENT WITH THE CRITERIA ESTABLISHED FOR USE OF SUCH FUNDS, AND FINDING AND DETERMINING THAT THE EXPENDITURE OF SUCH REVENUES ARE PUBLIC PURPOSES AND MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS?
______ YES/FOR
______ NO/AGAINST

Ballot Question No. 2C - Charter Amendment - Change Form of Government to Council-Manager

Shall the Charter of the City of Pueblo be amended to change the form of government from a Council-Mayor government to a Council-Manager government, and in connection therewith: requiring that the City Council - City Manager form of government not be changed except by Charter Convention upon majority vote of qualified voters; eliminating the office of City Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Chief of Staff and establishing the office of City Manager to be selected by City Council, in which all executive and administrative powers of the City shall be vested; giving City Council the power to appoint all City Boards and Commissions whose members will be limited to four-year terms; removing the prohibition against City Council interfering in the removal of members of City Boards and Commissions; recognizing the President of the City Council as head of City government for all ceremonial purposes and authorizing the President of the City Council to execute and authenticate legal documents as may be required; giving the City Council the right to enforce its own ordinances; giving City Council the power to appoint the City Clerk and Municipal Court Judges; allowing current and former members of the City Council to become City Manager or City Employees after the first year following the expiration of their terms of office; authorizing City Council to direct the City Attorney to institute lawsuits; allowing the functions of the Department of Aviation be determined by Resolution; mandating that the City Council - City Manager form of government take effect immediately upon approval of this Charter Amendment by the registered Electors of the City of Pueblo and providing that the City Council shall appoint an Interim City Manager?
______ Yes/For
______ No/Against

Ballot Question No. 2D - Charter Amendment - Require Binding Interest Arbitration instead of vote of the people for the other Classified Employee Bargaining Unit

Shall the Charter of the City of Pueblo relating to collective bargaining for the other classified employees bargaining unit be amended to require all unresolved issues relating to wages and other terms and conditions of employment be decided by binding arbitration instead of by vote of the qualified electors of the City of Pueblo, and to provide that the arbitrator shall choose either the final offer of the City or the final offer of the Employee Bargaining Agent on each such issue?
______ Yes/For
______ No/Against

Ballot Question No. 2E - Charter Amendment - Municipal Officer Salary Increase

Shall Section 2-1 of the Charter of the City of Pueblo be amended to allow Municipal Officer salary increases take effect immediately?
______ Yes/For
______ No/Against

Ballot Question No. 2F - Charter Amendment - Making it easier for City Employees to run for Public Office

Shall Section 8-9 of the Charter of the City of Pueblo be amended to remove the requirement that city employees within the classified service must take a leave of absence in order to run for public office?
______ Yes/For
______ No/Against

In addition to these six ballot measures, City Clerk Stoller included the nominations for elected officials. The ballot order draw was conducted at City Hall on Tuesday, Sept. 1 for all candidates running for elected office within city limits. The following information and order of candidates shows how it will appear on the ballots. They can also be found online at https://www.pueblo.us/131/Elections under "Ballot Order 2025."

NOMINATIONS FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS

City Council Member - At Large
4-Year Term Expiring December 31, 2029
(Vote for Two)

Regina Maestri
Colleen Grahek-Clark
Brett Boston
Evans Auden Gonzales Garcia
Tom Croshal
Nathan Harper
Selena Ruiz Gomez

City Council Member - District 1

4-Year Term Expiring December 31, 2029
(Vote for One)

Tiffany Estrada
Kassidy Hall
Dianne Danti
Elvis R. Martinez

City Council Member - District 3

4-Year Term Expiring December 31, 2029
(Vote for One)

Joseph Perko
Ted Hernandez

Member Pueblo Board of Water Works

6-Year Term Expiring December 31, 2031
(Vote for Two)

Michael A. Cafasso
Chris Woodka
Philip J. Reynolds IV
Dave DeCenzo

Civil Service Commissioner

6-Year Term Expiring December 31, 2031
(Vote for One)

Erick B. Javaneau
Steven Rodriguez

The Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder's Office is coordinating the Nov. 5, 2025, coordinated election. Ballots are anticipated to be mailed on Oct. 10, 2025 and additional election information can be found online at Elections or by contacting the Pueblo County Elections Office at [email protected] or 719-583-6620.