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Pueblo budget hearing: Residents press council to support the zoo and address rising personnel costs
Summary
At a public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget, zoo staff and supporters pleaded for additional funding while multiple speakers warned about increasing personnel costs, falling reserves and a projected $11.9 million deficit; councilors and residents urged more transparency and explored cuts and hiring freezes.
The Pueblo City Council's Oct. 27 public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget featured more than a dozen residents urging support for the Pueblo Zoo and urging fiscal responsibility across departments.
Renee Wahlen, director of education at the Pueblo Zoo, told the council the facility serves thousands of students each year through school programs, camps and outreach and meets national accreditation standards; she asked officials to continue support so the zoo can remain educational and accessible. Kyle Aber, president of the Pueblo Zoological Society, asked the council to meet the society's requested increase (cited by staff as $944,000 in the hearing) and said the society would boost fundraising to help close the gap.
Multiple commenters said the city must address what they see as structural budget problems. Randy Thurston and Brett Averna said the city has been relying on one-time federal relief funds in recent years and warned that reserves would fall sharply under the proposed budget. Thurston urged the council to protect taxpayers from long-term liabilities tied to building projects and personnel growth. Averna noted reserves had been effectively eroded since 2018 and urged full review before approval.
Abbas Martinez, a frequent budget commenter, proposed specific cuts and a temporary hiring freeze for non-public-safety positions, estimating personnel and other adjustments that he said could reduce the projected deficit. Martinez and others recommended repurposing professional-services and travel budgets and asked for greater transparency on contracts and the origins of some line items.
Council response and next steps: Councilors asked staff to provide additional details on personnel costs, reserve projections and one-time versus ongoing revenue. No final budget vote occurred Oct. 27; the public hearing record will be used as the council continues deliberations on the 2026 budget and upcoming public hearings and ordinance readings.
Quote: "These are the kinds of things that I think need to be looked at very seriously," Randy Thurston said, referring to long-term liabilities from building and personnel decisions.
Ending: The council closed the public hearing and will consider the budget in subsequent meetings and public hearings; speakers urged timely action because of near-term pressures such as changes in SNAP and eviction pressures.
