Council dismisses ethics complaint against Councilor Joe Latino; debate over scope of code

The Pueblo City Council voted to dismiss an ethics complaint against Councilor Joe Latino during its Oct. 27 meeting after receiving a confidential attorney-client memo from the law department. The complaint, filed Oct. 21 by Alice Grama on behalf of two employees (reported as affiliated with the PAGE union), alleged intimidating conduct by the councilor. City attorneys told council that, even if the facts alleged were assumed true for the purposes of initial review, the complaint did not state a claim under the city's ethics code because it lacked the elements (such as a breach of fiduciary duty) required for action under the existing ordinance.

Council debate focused on two issues: whether the complaint met the technical threshold for the code as written and whether the council should adopt a broader or independent mechanism for addressing ethical concerns. Councilor Roger Gomez and others said the complaint would likely be dismissed in a legal forum and urged a screening process to prevent repeated unsubstantiated complaints from consuming meeting time. Councilor Brett Boston suggested the council consider pursuing a ballot initiative or ordinance next year to strengthen ethical standards or create an independent ethics review mechanism.

Others spoke for caution toward complainants. Councilor Sarah Martinez opposed dismissal and argued that complaints alleging employees felt unsafe at work should be taken seriously. Councilor Dennis Flores and others noted that council does not hire, supervise or discipline city employees directly, but Councilor Martinez observed the council does vote on pay and contract terms that affect employees, creating a power differential.

Outcome and next steps: The council first voted to accept the communication from the city attorney and then voted to dismiss the complaint (motion to dismiss passed 5-1; Sarah Martinez recorded a dissent). The law department's memo and discussion clarified that dismissal reflected the code's current language, not a determination about the underlying conduct. Several councilors signaled interest in reviewing the ethics code and considering structural changes to the process for handling complaints.

Ending: The complaint was dismissed at the meeting, but the record shows ongoing interest by some members in whether the city's ethics process should be revised or administered by an independent body.