Local Gov. Archives

Sweeping zoning changes affecting about 160,000 Albuquerque properties head next to the City Council’s Land Use, Planning and Zoning (LUPZ) Committee amid sharp disagreement over what’s changing and whether residents received adequate notice. (Roberto E. Rosales)

160,000 properties in Albuquerque could get a zoning change, here’s what you need to know

Sweeping zoning changes affecting at least 160,000 Albuquerque properties head next to the City Council’s Land Use, Planning and Zoning (LUPZ) Committee amid sharp disagreement over what’s changing and whether residents received adequate notice, according to 2023 U.S. Census data. The Integrated Development Ordinance Biennial Update, approved by the Environmental Planning Commission in November, includes […]

BorderPlex Digital Assets in August gave lawmakers on the state Legislative Finance Committee a rendering of Project Jupiter. (Courtesy of BorderPlex Digital Assets)

Local Gov.

Bernalillo County Commission to consider data center regulations

by Lauren Lifke 19 hours agoJanuary 12, 2026

The Bernalillo County Commission is set to tackle a landmark proposal to regulate data center incentives and a final vote on a revision of the county’s ethics code on Jan. 13. Commissioner Eric Olivas said he will introduce a resolution establishing strict criteria for data center projects that seek taxpayer-funded incentives. “If we are to […]

Bernalillo County joined a longstanding lawsuit with the Town of Edgewood as an interested party last month, filing a petition to intervene after the Campbell Ranch development appealed the Town of Edgewood’s decision in July to deny its subdivision applications.

Local Gov.

Bernalillo County joins Campbell Ranch lawsuit legal battle in Edgewood

by Lauren Lifke 19 hours agoJanuary 12, 2026

Bernalillo County joined a longstanding lawsuit with the Town of Edgewood as an interested party last month, filing a petition to intervene after the Campbell Ranch development appealed the Town of Edgewood’s decision in July to deny its subdivision applications. The Edgewood Town Commission denied subdivision applications for an area known as Village 2, which […]

Lot coverage rules for the Village of Corrales won’t be changing anytime soon. Village councilors, at their Jan. 6 meeting, said they will seek more information before deciding whether to amend the village’s lot coverage limits, which address how much space property owners can fill on their land.

Corrales, Local Gov.

Corrales lot coverage rules remain unchanged as council explores new options

by Kevin Hendricks January 9, 2026January 9, 2026

Lot coverage rules for the Village of Corrales won’t be changing anytime soon. Village councilors, at their Jan. 6 meeting, said they will seek more information before deciding whether to amend the village’s lot coverage limits, which address how much space property owners can fill on their land. The meeting comes after the adoption last […]

Former APD cheif Harold Medina, left, walks with Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller. (Roberto E. Rosales)

ABQ’s new interim police chief follows a familiar path. Will it lead to the same destination?

Cecily Barker, named Albuquerque’s first woman interim police chief on New Year’s Eve, follows a familiar pattern: Her two predecessors served as interim chief for about six months before being permanently appointed. The pattern is clear: Michael Geier served 6.5 months as interim chief before the City Council confirmed him 9-0 in June 2018. Harold […]

Baca interviews for Gov. cabinet post

Albuquerque City Councilor Joaquín Baca has two more years left to serve in his council term, but he could be leaving sooner than that, City Desk has learned. Baca has interviewed with Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham for consideration to fill the governor’s vacant cabinet position for secretary overseeing the state’s Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources […]

ABQ launches ambitious plan to attract global businesses to Mesa del Sol

The Albuquerque City Council unanimously approved an ordinance Monday committing $5.75 million in public funds to launch a global business accelerator expected to create 1,200 high-paying jobs in Mesa del Sol. The ordinance authorizes the city to serve as fiscal agent for $5 million in state economic development funds and invest $750,000 in local resources […]

Albuquerque’s downtown saw a large presence of anti ICE protesters marching throughout downtown in June 2025. Many holding signs and chanting demanding that ICE gets out of Albuquerque. Pictured are protesters in downtown Civic Plaza. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales / The Paper

Keller blasts federal policy after deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis

Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller calling federal immigration policies “dangerous” following a fatal shooting by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis. “This incident raises serious questions and reflects a dangerous pattern that we are seeing across the country because of the president’s divisive policies,” Keller said in the statement posted on social media. “My […]

Albuquerque renters have rights on paper but who’s enforcing them?

The City Council on Monday deferred a vote on a rental protections ordinance as officials pointed to an enforcement gap that leaves renters facing hidden fees despite state laws meant to cap them. The proposed Rental Practices Ordinance, O-25-102, would fold state tenant protections into the city’s Housing Code to give local enforcement real authority. […]

Inside City Council’s budget transparency meltdown

Albuquerque’s push for more budget transparency collapsed Monday night as the City Council voted 1-8 against overriding Mayor Tim Keller’s veto of an ordinance that had passed 8-1 just three weeks earlier. The failed override leaves the city’s $1.5 billion budget process largely unchanged. The administration will not have to share detailed vacancy data, drop […]