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 […]
City Desk ABQ
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 […]
Posted inNM.news
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 […]
Posted inLocal Government
From curbside to containers: Why Albuquerque is rethinking how it recycles glass
It looked like the glass would finally be picked up with the rest of our trash and recycling we all hoped for, but the reality was that it was not to be, at least not yet. Editor’s note: For years, the city has fielded requests to add glass to “blue bin” curbside recycling, so when […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, City Desk ABQ, Courts, Justice & Safety, The Paper.
APD investigating hate crime in Old Town after Muslim mom with kids spit on by man asking, “Are you Christian?”
An Albuquerque mother taking photos of her children in Old Town says she was spit on and harassed all because she was wearing a hijab, and she caught it on video. Editor’s note: This story was updated Wed. afternoon after APD confirmed the name of the suspect they identified in this case. That update is […]
Posted inElections & Politics
‘No Kings’ organizers plan for 40K & Stacey Abrams in rally, march through ABQ Sat.
By Kevin Hendricks — Organizers of Albuquerque’s “NO KINGS” rally are planning for more than 37,000 people to participate in a planned 3-mile march and rally on Saturday – prompting police to issue warnings of impromptu road closures along some of the city’s busiest thoroughfares. The “NO KINGS” movement began in 2025 and has since […]
Posted inBernalillo County, City Desk ABQ, Energy, Local Government, The Paper., Westside Albuquerque
Inside the Oso Negro project: Bernalillo County’s newest weapon against power outages
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — With an uncertain future for power rates and unreliable power grids, Bernalillo County residents may see more stable electricity rates and a stronger power grid, following the approval of a $175 million battery storage project on Albuquerque’s Westside. Bernalillo County commissioners approved an industrial revenue bond, 4-1, March 11, […]
Posted inLocal Government
Keller nominates Cecily Barker to permanently lead APD, pending City Council confirmation
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — After 22 years of climbing the ranks from patrol officer to the Albuquerque Police Department’s top-ranking officer, Cecily Barker stands one vote away from making history as Albuquerque’s first female police chief. Mayor Tim Keller announced Barker as his official nominee for chief of police on Tuesday, choosing the […]