Initial unofficial results from Pueblo County show voters by 2 to 1 rejecting a ballot measure to replace the office of mayor with a city manager and ousting District 1 Councilmember Regina Maestri.

Voters decided on six ballot questions and four of the Pueblo City Council seats in Tuesday’s municipal elections.

The standout ballot question, 2C, asked voters to overturn the 2017 ballot measure that established the “strong mayor” form of council-mayor government in Pueblo. The ballot question would eliminate the office of city mayor and replace the role with a city manager, a position that would be hired and overseen by the City Council.

Results as of 8:38 p.m. from the Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder’s Office showed 67.71% (13,783 votes) against the measure and 32.29% (6,573 votes) approving it.

Elsewhere on the ballot, seven candidates were running for two of the at-large seats on the Pueblo City Council. Votes could be cast for two candidates on the same ballot. The candidates include: incumbent Maestri, Colleen Grahek-Clark, Brett Boston (incumbent), Evans Auden Gonzalez Garcia, Tom Croshal, Nathan Harper and Selena Ruiz Gomez.

Unofficial results showed Gomez with 24.31% of the vote (8,796 votes) and Boston with 17.77% as the top two candidates, while Maestri had 12.45% (4,492) in third.

Kassidy Hall holds a slight lead for the District 1 council seat currently held by Maestri. Hall has 32.75% with Dianne Danti second at 32.11% (1,545 to 1,515 actual votes).

Ted Hernandez led the race in District 3 with 53.40% of the vote, ahead of Joseph Perko at 46.60%.

Other ballot results as of late Tuesday night:

Ballot Question 2A. Should Pueblo increase its sales and use tax rate from 3.7% to 4.7%, which would bring in an estimated $26 million in additional tax revenue for the general fund? No leads with 80.75% of the vote.

Ballot Question 2B. Should Pueblo extend the current 0.5% sales and use tax for economic development at the same rate from the end of 2026 until the end of 2031? Yes leads with 56.51% of the vote.

Ballot Question 2D. Should the unresolved collective bargaining issues for Pueblo’s classified employees be decided by arbitration instead of a vote of the Pueblo electors? No leads with 56.20% of the vote.

Ballot Question 2E. Should Pueblo amend the City Charter to allow a salary increase for Municipal Officers (mayor and councilmembers) to take effect immediately? No leads with 74.13% of the vote.

Ballot Question 2F. Should Pueblo remove the City Charter requirement that classified city employees must take a leave of absence to run for public office? Yes leads with 51.09% of the vote.