Pueblo County commissioners move into executive session to seek legal advice on insurance, budget and marijuana excise tax agreement

The Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners voted to go into an executive session on Aug. 27 after the county attorney requested private legal advice on several matters.

“The county attorney's office would request an executive session for the purpose of holding a conference with the county attorney to receive legal advice on specific legal questions pursuant to CRS 24-6-402(4)(b),” the County Attorney said, listing issues the office wanted to discuss. Those included potential changes to county health stop‑loss and short‑term disability insurance, 2026 budget appropriation requirements under Colorado's local government budget law, legal considerations concerning the issuance of certificates of participation, and requirements associated with expenditure of 1A funds.

The County Attorney also asked the board to consider positions and negotiating strategy related to a marijuana excise tax agreement between Pueblo County and the Public Hispanic Education Foundation. The transcript renders part of a statutory citation in a garbled form; the County Attorney explicitly referenced Colorado statute authority for the executive‑session request and the county’s local government budget law as the basis for seeking advice.

After the request, the Chair asked for a motion to move into executive session “for the reason cited.” A motion was made and seconded and members voiced aye. The Chair then announced, “We're in executive session.” The motion text in the record was to enter executive session for the reasons cited by the county attorney; no roll‑call vote with individual names was recorded in the public transcript.

No formal policy, resolution or other public action was taken in open session; the County Attorney reminded commissioners that no adoption of a proposed policy, resolution, rule or formal action may occur at an executive session that is not open to the public. The board proceeded into executive session as recorded.

Next steps: the board entered executive session immediately following the motion; any formal actions that result from the advice given in executive session would need to be returned to open session and recorded in the public minutes.