By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — ‘Burque has a new city attorney. The City Council confirmed Mayor Tim Keller’s pick, then turned around and overrode his veto of a measure aimed at giving the council more oversight of the city’s legal department.
Councilors unanimously confirmed Joshua Boone on Wednesday night. Boone previously served as chief deputy district attorney, overseeing Metro Court operations and about 300 employees, according to a news release. Boone said he plans to keep communication open with councilors and work directly with them to establish procedures to keep councilors informed about city legal matters, to rebuild trust after years of litigation and disputes between city leaders. “I want to be able to work for this city in the best way that’s going to make you guys comfortable and bring back whatever trust issues that may be existing,” Boone said.
Immediately after Boone was confirmed, councilors voted 6-3 to override Keller’s veto of an ordinance requiring the city attorney’s office to report to the council on cases involving councilors and respond to requests from council staff. Council President Klarissa Peña, Councilor Brook Bassan and Councilor Nichole Rogers voted to uphold the veto. Chief Administrative Officer Samantha Sengel said the ordinance could conflict with the city charter by limiting the city attorney’s legal authority. But Tammy Fiebelkorn said Boone had just told councilors he was willing to work directly with them. Councilor Dan Lewis said the ordinance simply spells out how that communication should work. “What the bill does is just simply outlines some communication and some procedures,” he said. “I don’t see it as harmful.”
Lewis said Boone is stepping into an unusually difficult situation after years of conflict between the mayor and council. “During my 16 years of being here, I don’t think it’s ever happened, and it probably put a city attorney in a really impossible situation,” he said. “You know, the mayor of Albuquerque suing the city council, and you have the city suing the city.”