Roger Gomez, Pueblo City Council District 2 candidate in his own words

Puebloans will vote on some of the city’s leaders in the upcoming election Nov. 7, including selecting the city’s mayor for the second time in recent memory.

The Pueblo Chieftain has surveyed all 18 candidates for mayor and council about the key topics and critical issues facing the city, featuring some questions submitted directly by readers.

Check your voter registration here to make sure you’re registered to vote. The mayoral election is city-wide, while council members are elected by district. Check which city council district you live in here.

Fifteen of the 18 candidates for mayor and council responded to the Chieftain's questionnaire. Their answers have been edited for clarity and brevity.

Roger Gomez is one of two candidates running to represent city council District 4, which includes Bessemer and parts of the South Side.

Introduce yourself and tell us why you're qualified to be on city council.

My name is Roger Gomez, a candidate for Pueblo City Council District 4. I have worked as a district director for Congressman Scott McInnis, an adjunct professor at Adams State University and a commander in the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office. I have also worked as an investigator in the District Attorney's office and a psychiatric tech at the Colorado State Hospital. I was the owner of Steel City Dogs for 13 years. I have lived in Pueblo for 44 years.

Describe how you would approach your job as city councilor.

I would listen to and work to build consensus with each councilperson and give the mayor the proper respect afforded to the position. Respect is paramount and I will not tolerate intentional rudeness, personal attacks or bullying.

As a district director for Congressman Scott McInnis, I was responsible for and to a constituent population of 650,000 people residing in 36 counties. I supervised four district offices with an average of 15 employees and interns overseeing a very active constituent caseload. Pueblo taxpayers deserve and are entitled to prompt and clear answers from their city officials and I am committed to that from day one.

What are three ideas for ordinances or initiatives you would like to introduce?

The first ordinance consideration has to address the inclement weather and the need for temporary housing that is warm, dignified and humane. A concrete permanent housing plan that is firm, fair and accountable to actually reduce this problem once and for all is critical not only for our community but for the homeless caught up in this revolving and devastating nightmare year after year.

The problems that plague the District 4 neighborhoods and historic Bessemer are as varied as their locations. From out of control weed growth, tumbleweed infestation, undersized and crumbling 1930s stormwater drainage system that is overwhelmed. I want the council to consider an ordinance to officially designate the "Historic Downtown Bessemer" as the start to reviving District 4.

Compensation for city councilors has stayed the same since 1997. Do you think it should go up?

First and foremost, I am a very strong proponent of civic responsibility and public service that supports the public good. I vigorously object to my opponent demanding tripling the council's salary (based on hourly calculation.) Due to the fact that council members are only obligated to work four days a month, I profoundly disapprove.

What role should the city have in addressing homelessness?

I believe engaging the homeless in developing an effective strategy is critical to finding a solution that works. As a former law enforcement officer, I contacted the "homeless" many times and the percentage of those choosing to live on the street is infinitesimal.

The homeless problem is compounded by the lack of affordable housing, inability to afford rent, unemployment, mental health, drug abuse, poverty, nutrition deficits, displaced vets, discrimination and a growing transient population. Coupled with the accessibility of opioids and the access to a controversial needle exchange program off a major I-25 corridor, it's no surprise that Pueblo and Denver are listed as the highest opioid abuse cities contributing to homelessness in Colorado.

What are your ideas to make Pueblo a safe city for all?

Crime is rated as the number one issue facing Pueblo attributed in large part to the lack of proper response and intervention by our department, which is down by 61 officers. Homelessness contributes to crime as open-air drug markets, theft, violence, dangerous and unsanitary off-road encampments continue to proliferate. Public safety is elevated because of the ineffective prosecution by the D.A.

When we are at full staffing I would like to see beat patrols formulated in the business and active neighborhoods. There are many low-level intervention techniques that can be employed to intervene and interrupt the advancement of a young offender to a violent adult felon. We also need to stop the "half sentencing" of offenders and re-establish the three strikes and you're out program.

How would you approach improving transportation infrastructure within the city?

Invest in long distance (round trip) light rail from Pueblo to Colorado Springs to Downtown Denver to DIA at least twice a day. I submitted a plan for cable cars that flies over I-25 from a large East Side parking lot area to perhaps Water Tower Place or directly into downtown. We would be the first community on the Front Range that would offer such a tourist accommodation. Christmas downtown would be spectacular and a winter revenue generator. Taxi-bikes could be stationed at strategic "gondola" locations in the spring, summer and fall and switch to shuttles in winter.

We need to offer more roundabouts at the most active intersections that would help the flow of traffic.

Do you support ballot measure 2A, which would raise the city's lodging tax to help pay for childcare?

I'm unequivocally opposed to passage of this ballot question as the cost of tourism stays in Pueblo is what attracts many ventures to this community. There are grant opportunities that are available to fund other projects as opposed to throwing on a rider to a tourism effort.

If you received a $1 million grant to use for the city in any way, what would you do with it and why?

For District 4, the first effort and portion of that money would go to fund an auxiliary task force that could work on reducing and eliminating noise pollution from over the top "growling" muffler altered vehicles and motorcycles. These are low-level crimes but more importantly they disturb the peace at all hours of the night waking up the elderly, night shift employees, children getting up for school and people going to work. Of course, fines of repeat offenders who continue exceeding the 55 decibel would be levied. In extreme cases seizure of the nuisance vehicle would apply.

Describe your vision for Pueblo in 2050.

I should be pushing up daisies by that time. However, it's my hope that we look backwards to a time when we showed respect and kindness to each other, and the Steel City not only continues forging quality steel but forges and returns to a quality of life envied by the rest of the state.

Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com. Please support local news at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Roger Gomez, Pueblo City Council District 2 candidate in his own words