By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — As Burqueños prepare to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial — the United States’ 250th birthday — they’ll have to navigate Albuquerque’s rules on what fireworks can legally be set off in their neighborhoods. Recent wildfires across New Mexico and within city limits may have firefighters on alert, but city fire […]
Local Government
Posted inLocal Government
Santa Fe County says Edgewood’s changes to fire ordinance violate agreement, threatening emergency services, again, before they start
EDGEWOOD, N.M. — Santa Fe County officials have rejected a revised ordinance proposed by the Town of Edgewood to fund fire and emergency medical services, warning that the town’s unilateral changes violate their Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) and state law. The ongoing dispute threatens to leave Edgewood residents without primary fire and EMS coverage from […]
Posted inLocal Government
Return of the ‘ankle-biters’
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Duke City residents looking forward to patio season may think they got through an unusually quiet spring bug season unscathed, but Albuquerque — currently ranked 38th on Orkin’s Top 50 Worst Mosquito Cities List — local health officials expect to see a spike in mosquito populations very soon. The […]
Posted inLocal Government
City Council ejects speakers in raucous debate, before approving new Albuquerque minimum wage
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Burqueños workers making minimum wage have something to be excited about – if they have patience – after the Albuquerque City Council approved a $3 increase to the city’s minimum wage Monday night after a packed and at times raucous meeting that drew so many people that some were […]
Posted inEstancia
Estancia has water again after line break causes 15,000-gallon leak
Water service has apparently been restored to the Town of Estancia after a cleanup contractor reportedly damaged a main supply line. The town’s website had a one-sentence update (“Water has been restored!”) posted above an announcement of the outage. In a post on the town’s Facebook page, Councilor Albert Lovato wrote that the mishap occurred […]
Posted inJobs, Workers & Economy
Wages vs. Rents: Albuquerque council set to vote on historic $15 minimum wage overhaul tonight
By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — Burqueño workers and small business owners could soon feel the impact in their wallets as the City Council prepares to vote tonight on an overhaul of the city’s minimum wage law. As written, the proposal would break from the state’s minimum wage base for the first […]
Posted inRio Rancho
Rio Rancho adopts $452M budget with police pay boost
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. The Rio Rancho Governing Body approved a $452.3 million budget on May 28. The FY2027 budget, approved as Resolution 40, takes effect July 1. The General Fund — which covers core city services — totals $169.9 million. The Utility Operating Fund, which delivers water and wastewater service to more than […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
ABQ tries to break its heavy metal habit with new copper theft law
By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — Drivers and pedestrians are navigating dark stretches of East Central Avenue after copper thieves have ripped wiring from streetlights, prompting a pair of city councilors to tighten Albuquerque’s scrap metal recycling laws in an effort to curb the vandalism. Rather than creating a new law, Councilors […]
Posted inCorrales
Village Council approves MainStreet re-up, residents concerned
Corrales MainStreet will continue to promote economic development within the village, but the renewal of the organization’s contracts didn’t happen quietly. While village administration feels the new professional services local agreement adequately shifts its focus from increasing tourist traffic to historical preservation and improving resident quality of life, some residents took to the podium to […]
Posted inLocal Government, Placitas
Placitas residents pack P&Z hearing — and kill Verizon’s cell tower plan
By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. Placitas residents turned out in force and won as Sandoval County’s Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously rejected a permit for a 75-foot Verizon cell tower, siding with a community that flooded the hearing room and submitted hundreds of written objections. About 50 residents arrived an hour before the meeting started, […]