Pueblo County commissioners remove CFO, expand outside financial oversight

The Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners voted Oct. 1 to remove Craig McBrayne as the county’s public chief financial officer and to expand outside financial oversight as the county addresses ongoing budget and audit issues. Commissioners said the move is part of a broader effort to stabilize county finances and to bring in specialized expertise on a temporary basis.

One commissioner framed the action as a necessary step in restoring financial controls: "This is a pretty massive moment for an organization to demote a chief," the commissioner said, adding the county has missed statutory deadlines and still lacks complete monthly financial statements. The board also approved a statement of work to expand services from Eide Bailey Advisory LLC to provide strategic financial management and executive-level accounting support during what the board described as a leadership transition in the budget and finance department.

Board members emphasized the action does not permanently eliminate in-house roles. "We're not handing over the reins completely," the chair said during debate, noting the county intends continued day-to-day participation by county staff while relying on the outside team for specialized, advisory work. The resolutions passed by voice vote; no formal roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript.