What Pueblo Really Pays For

 Mayor vs. City Manager

Pueblo, Colorado, continues to wrestle with whether our community is better served by a strong mayor or a city manager. This isn’t just a debate over titles—it’s about cost, accountability, and what kind of leadership Pueblo needs for the future.

The Financial Question

Critics of the strong mayor system often point to cost. Mayor Heather Graham currently earns $150,000 per year. That number may sound high, but it is in line with professional city management salaries. For comparison, former City Manager Jerry Pacheco was paid $155,000 in 2009, according to the Pueblo Chieftain. Adjusted for inflation, that would be far higher in today’s dollars.

The truth is simple: Pueblo does not save money by swapping a mayor for a city manager. Both roles require competitive salaries, and the city manager system has historically cost more once severance packages, contract buyouts, and legal entanglements are factored in. Pacheco’s inappropriate dealings alone cost Pueblo taxpayers around $64,000.

The bottom line: whether Pueblo chooses a mayor or a manager, the city is paying for leadership. The real question is—who should that leader answer to?

Accountability to the People

A strong mayor is elected directly by Pueblo’s residents and must answer to voters every four years. That accountability is built into the system. A city manager, however, is hired and fired by City Council, meaning their loyalty runs to council members, not to the public. Decisions that affect the entire community can end up insulated from direct voter oversight.

Vision and Leadership

Elected mayors campaign on promises and visions for the city—economic development, infrastructure improvements, public safety—and have the authority to pursue those goals. City managers are trained administrators, skilled in operations but not necessarily in driving bold initiatives. Pueblo has already seen how council gridlock and bureaucracy can paralyze progress. A mayor has both the authority and the mandate to act decisively.

The Real Cost

The cost of leadership is about far more than a paycheck. It’s about momentum, trust, and the ability to deliver results. Pueblo voters have repeatedly endorsed a strong mayor system because it puts power and responsibility directly in the hands of the people.

Pueblo’s choice is clear: the question isn’t whether leadership costs money—because it always will. The question is whether Pueblo wants a leader accountable to its voters, or one who serves at the pleasure of City Council.

For the sake of democracy and accountability, the strong mayor system keeps Pueblo’s leadership where it belongs: with the people.