Residents urge Pueblo City Council to protect zoo funding amid budget cuts

The council held a public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget and heard repeated testimony in favor of maintaining and increasing funding for the Pueblo Zoo. Renee Wallin, director of education at the Pueblo Zoo, told council that school programs, camps and outreach bring thousands of students to the zoo each year and argued continued municipal support helps the city meet national accreditation standards and sustain conservation education.

Kyle Aber, president of the Pueblo Zoological Society, said the society will work to boost donations and urged council to "meet us in the middle" to reach a requested $944,000 figure that he said would stabilize the zoo's finances. Several residents — including Ken Dante and others — described family visits to the zoo and urged the council not to cut funding.

Other public speakers used the budget hearing to raise broader fiscal concerns. Randy Thurston and Brett Averna urged fiscal restraint, pointed to one-time pandemic-era (ARPA) funds that are no longer recurring revenue, and warned that projected reserves would fall significantly under the proposed budget unless cuts or new revenues are found. Abbas Martinez (on Zoom) suggested spending reductions in mayoral professional services and other line items and proposed a hiring freeze for non-public-safety positions to save money.

Councilors did not vote on final budget adoption during this hearing; the meeting recorded public testimony that the council will consider as it finalizes the 2026 budget.