By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For Burqueños hoping for relief from the affordable housing crisis, the finish line just moved further away when a promised solution to turn a former hotel into long-term affordable apartments for seniors touted by the mayor during his election quietly fell through. During the April 6 City Council meeting, […]
City Desk ABQ
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
Keller veto holds: Council leaves rules requiring better A/C for renters in limbo
By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — On Monday, the Albuquerque City Council failed to override Mayor Tim Keller’s veto of changes to a controversial renters’ rights cooling ordinance, falling one vote short of the six votes required. Council President Klarissa Peña and Vice President Dan Champine, along with Councilors Brook Bassan, Renée […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
Albuquerque’s new ‘Safety Zones’: A boost for business or a crackdown on poverty?
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — A new Albuquerque ordinance hands the mayor power to surge police and city services along commercial corridors, a move supporters call a boost for local business and critics blast as a crackdown on the city’s most vulnerable. On Monday, the Albuquerque City Council voted 6-3 to approve the “Enhanced […]
Posted inLocal Government
The Bernalillo County tax civil war: Assessor vs. Treasurer
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — A legal fight over a short-term rental tax has escalated into a civil war inside the Bernalillo County government — and a Democratic primary battle in the background — pitting top financial officials against each other over millions in tax revenue and allegations of ethical misconduct. The dispute simmering between County […]
Posted inCity Desk ABQ
Is Albuquerque settling for slow 911 response times?
By Jesse Jones, City Desk ABQ in The Paper. — When a crisis strikes, every second counts. On a ringing 911 line, those seconds can feel like an eternity. Even as call volume drops and the city rolls out new technology, dispatchers are falling further behind national standards, leaving more callers waiting longer for someone […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, City Desk ABQ, Local Government
History made: ABQ confirms the first female police chief and new safety director
The Duke City just made history by shattering the glass ceiling as City Councilors confirmed Cecily Barker as the city’s first female police chief and approved a public safety overhaul that created a new public safety director role and filled it with former FBI official Raul Bujanda. On Monday, the City Council unanimously approved Barker […]
Posted inLocal Government
‘It would be a lot cooler if you did’: ABQ council passes cooling rules — but not the ones the sponsor wanted
Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For thousands of Burqueños struggling to keep their homes cool as temperatures climb earlier each year, a common landlord workaround is now off the table — but the stronger protections one councilor fought for didn’t make it through. City councilors voted 5-4 Monday night to approve O-26-22, an amendment to […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, City Desk ABQ, Local Government
Mayor’s budget pitch doubles treatment spending but lowers targets, but city says there’s a reason
By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. –– While reviewing Mayor Tim Keller’s $1.47 billion budget proposal, a counterintuitive number jumped out in the city’s Health, Housing and Homelessness Department budget: despite contracts for substance use treatment more than doubling to $5.5 million,the city expects to serve fewer people, lowering its target from 650 […]
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Keller proposes to add “out-of-towner” fees to BioPark, golf courses to help close city budget gap
Duke City taxpayers may soon stop covering the cost for out-of-town visitors who use city services, as Mayor Tim Keller pushes new fees on non-residents. Keller last week proposed a $1.47 billion budget for fiscal year 2027 that would add new fees for non-residents who use city services. The plan would charge visitors the full […]
Posted inLocal Government
Fed cuts prompt Keller to pitch budget with $35 million hole and 272 job cuts
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque is tightening its belt for the first time in years, and Burqueños may soon feel the shift. Mayor Tim Keller sent his $1.47 billion budget proposal to the City Council on Wednesday. The budget is $35 million less than last year. After a record budget year approved last […]