By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Burqueños can help decide how to spend $1.7 million in public funds on projects in District 1. The initiative builds on Albuquerque’s first participatory budgeting pilot in District 6. Albuquerque City Councilor Stephanie Telles is inviting residents to submit ideas for projects funded through District 1’s $1.7 million participatory […]
Jesse Jones
Jesse Jones is a reporter covering local government and news for The Paper. through a local journalism fellowship from NM Reports. He is a graduate of UNM.
Posted inAlbuquerque
Before voters head to the polls, the City Council has business to handle
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — What will be a shorter-than-usual Albuquerque City Council meeting Monday, the day before Election Day, will still decide the city’s future, from who reviews its charter to how zoning rules change and what can be built near the Sawmill neighborhood. Councilors will take final action on a proposal to […]
Posted inNM.news
Stansbury’s shifting position on Sandia land transfer raises questions
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — A proposed transfer of nearly 10,000 acres in the Sandia Mountains has raised questions about public access and land management. A local advocacy group says Rep. Melanie Stansbury told them she opposes the transfer, despite her support for land-back efforts. But in an interview with The Paper. on Thursday, […]
City Desk ABQ
Posted inLocal Government
Bernalillo County bets on tax breaks to bring more workforce housing to the Heights
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — In Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights, an area known for its high-value homes and good schools, middle-income workers can find themselves priced out of living near the communities they serve. On Oct. 27, the Bernalillo County Commission approved two ordinances sponsored by Commissioner Walt Benson granting 30-year property tax breaks to […]
Roswell Daily Record
Posted inCommunity News
Slow down in East Mountains: N.M. 14 speed cameras issuing warnings
By Jesse Jones Drivers traveling through the East Mountains may want to ease off the gas on N.M. 14. New speed cameras are already tracking drivers, with warnings in effect through early November. After that, it will cost a heavy foot a fine of $100. Bernalillo County announced Oct. 21 that drivers speeding on N.M. […]
City Desk ABQ
Posted inLocal Government
Bernalillo County is changing MDC health care. What will it cost?
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Health care at the Metropolitan Detention Center faces a major shake-up in 2027 as Bernalillo County prepares to take over the system, with nearly $40 million in startup costs and a funding request that still needs state approval. At its Oct. 27 meeting, the Bernalillo County Board of County […]
The Paper.
Albuquerque’s Sunport rail spur is getting a multimillion-dollar federal boost
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — From construction materials to industrial supplies, businesses could have an easier way to move goods in and out of the Duke City after the city was selected for a multimillion-dollar federal grant to upgrade six miles of the Sunport Rail Spur. The city was selected to receive up to […]
City Desk ABQ
Posted inLocal Government
BernCo commissioners set to write a new prescription for jail health care
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — Everyone booked into the Metropolitan Detention Center gets a health screening. That was more than 26,000 people last fiscal year, and many of them arrived in withdrawal or mental health crisis. On Tuesday, Bernalillo County commissioners will decide who provides that care once UNM Hospital’s contract ends June 30, […]
The Paper.
Sky-high profits: Balloon Fiesta drives $30.5M hotel surge
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — The balloons came back down. Hotel rates didn’t. Albuquerque hotels earned about $30.5 million in room revenue during the 2026 Balloon Fiesta, up 9% from last year, as nearly 902,000 guest visits packed Balloon Fiesta Park, according to two post-event reports released last week. Visitors paid an average of […]
NM Political Report
Posted inPolitics & Elections
National Dems get a taste of New Mexico politics at Luján’s election season matanza
By Jesse Jones and Kevin Hendricks, New Mexico Political Report — National Democrats came to Albuquerque on Saturday to get a taste of New Mexico, literally, at a matanza rally celebrating the state’s new fourth-in-the-nation slot on the 2028 presidential primary calendar. Sens. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland and Mark Kelly of Arizona, along with […]