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City lobbyist warns of state budget shortfalls, presses housing fixes and flags data‑center bills
Summary
Gil Romero of Capital Success Group told council the governor's budget and pending legislation could squeeze local services; he said the firm is pursuing fixes to Proposition 1 2 3 housing impacts, coordinating asbestos abatement discussions with CDPHE, and will monitor multiple data-center bills.
Gil Romero of the Capital Success Group briefed the Pueblo City Council on the incoming state budget and several pieces of legislation city staff are tracking. Romero said the governor's budget totals about $50.6 billion and that the Legislature is preparing for a projected shortfall next year. "It's a total budget of about $50,600,000,000," he said, warning that proposed cuts — including possible Medicaid reductions and changes to a business personal property tax backfill — could strain local health care providers and city services.
Romero described ongoing work to mitigate the local effects of housing-related state measures he called "Prop 1 2 3," saying PEDCO and local partners are engaging stakeholders and that Representative Basenecker has been involved as a sponsor in drafting fixes. He also said the firm met with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and raised the possibility of permitting CDPHE to consider multiple structures together for asbestos abatement rather than addressing cases one house at a time.
On data centers and AI-related legislation, Romero told council he expects several bills and urged scrutiny of draft language because of energy and infrastructure implications: data centers can drive large power needs and legislation may determine whether communities shoulder infrastructure costs. He said labor groups are increasingly engaged in shaping policy around those opportunities.
Romero also recounted the municipal-court bill the firm worked on last year — a bill the governor ultimately vetoed — and he said he expects a transparency-oriented bill from Representative Javier Mabry to return next session. He acknowledged the potential for conflicts when a firm represents multiple clients and said the firm disclosed relationships and proceeded with the city's approval.
Romero said staff would circulate reports and follow-ups on stakeholder meetings, draft bills and the Public Utilities Commission sunset review. Councilors asked clarifying questions about the sponsor status for housing fixes, community-choice energy prospects and data-center permitting; Romero pledged to share draft legislation and related analyses when they are available.
