Robert Choi outlines financial-controls policy, warns Pueblo County will need 2027 budget cuts
September 03, 2026 | Pueblo County, Colorado
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Robert Choi presented a financial update to the Pueblo County board on Sept. 3 and urged adoption of a new financial-controls policy to restore fiscal discipline and preserve services. The presentation framed the county’s situation as the product of “years of overspending and insufficient investment in economic development” and proposed rules to ensure the county confirms appropriation and authority before signing contracts, leases, or paying invoices.
Choi outlined specific controls he said the county needs. "Before the county signs a contract or lease or pays an invoice, finance must confirm that the board appropriated the money and that that money is available in the current moment," he said. He recommended that the chief financial officer close the books every month and report that month's numbers to the board within 30 days, and that the CFO and Choi review county finances in public every quarter. Choi said the policy would forbid taking on or issuing debt to spend money faster and specified the policy’s intended start date as 01/01/2027.
Choi used a per-dollar framing to show how funds have been allocated in recent years and to underscore the limited resources for growth: he told the board, "Here is where each $20.24 dollar actually went," then listed shares such as public safety at 27¢ and human services at ~20¢. He said only 4¢ of every dollar was invested in development in 2024, under 1¢ in 2025, and that 2026 was on track to see about 2¢ invested in development. Choi warned those patterns meant the county must consider cuts for the 2027 budget: "The 2027 budget will require cuts," he said, adding that reductions would affect programs, projects and services across the county.
Choi tied the financial picture to demographic risks. He said deaths in Pueblo County have outnumbered births since 2019 and noted a shrinking tax base: "21.8% of Pueblo County residents are 65 or older," he said, and added that Colorado expects about 200,000 retirements over the next five years. He argued that without replenishing the working-age population with new families, Pueblo’s ability to fund services will decline and quality of life risks worsening within five to ten years.
Board members responded with questions and support. Commissioners pressed for clarity on what the presentation counted as economic development spending and discussed strategies — speeding permits, setting aside incentive funds, and pursuing county revitalization authorities (CRAs) — to prioritize targeted investments while restoring fiscal discipline. Choi said the county attorney and he are reviewing CRAs and will bring the topic back to a near-term agenda.
Next steps: Choi flagged that the 2027 budget process meeting convened later the same day and said staff would return with details and recommended ordinance/policy language. The presentation and follow-up discussion are expected to inform the county’s 2027 budget deliberations.
Choi outlined specific controls he said the county needs. "Before the county signs a contract or lease or pays an invoice, finance must confirm that the board appropriated the money and that that money is available in the current moment," he said. He recommended that the chief financial officer close the books every month and report that month's numbers to the board within 30 days, and that the CFO and Choi review county finances in public every quarter. Choi said the policy would forbid taking on or issuing debt to spend money faster and specified the policy’s intended start date as 01/01/2027.
Choi used a per-dollar framing to show how funds have been allocated in recent years and to underscore the limited resources for growth: he told the board, "Here is where each $20.24 dollar actually went," then listed shares such as public safety at 27¢ and human services at ~20¢. He said only 4¢ of every dollar was invested in development in 2024, under 1¢ in 2025, and that 2026 was on track to see about 2¢ invested in development. Choi warned those patterns meant the county must consider cuts for the 2027 budget: "The 2027 budget will require cuts," he said, adding that reductions would affect programs, projects and services across the county.
Choi tied the financial picture to demographic risks. He said deaths in Pueblo County have outnumbered births since 2019 and noted a shrinking tax base: "21.8% of Pueblo County residents are 65 or older," he said, and added that Colorado expects about 200,000 retirements over the next five years. He argued that without replenishing the working-age population with new families, Pueblo’s ability to fund services will decline and quality of life risks worsening within five to ten years.
Board members responded with questions and support. Commissioners pressed for clarity on what the presentation counted as economic development spending and discussed strategies — speeding permits, setting aside incentive funds, and pursuing county revitalization authorities (CRAs) — to prioritize targeted investments while restoring fiscal discipline. Choi said the county attorney and he are reviewing CRAs and will bring the topic back to a near-term agenda.
Next steps: Choi flagged that the 2027 budget process meeting convened later the same day and said staff would return with details and recommended ordinance/policy language. The presentation and follow-up discussion are expected to inform the county’s 2027 budget deliberations.
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