Councilors Brook Bassan and Renée Grout are co-sponsoring a bill that would reverse the city’s Immigrant Friendly Policy to allow police to contact federal authorities if an undocumented immigrant is charged with certain violent crimes or drug offenses. The bill to amend the current policy, introduced at the Albuquerque City Council meeting Monday night, was […]
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Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Housing & Homelessness, Local Government
City Council hears from the public — and some stuffed animals — at Monday meeting
A packed chamber greeted the Albuquerque City Council for a five-hour meeting May 6 where the council spent some money, approved getting some grant money and heard heartfelt public comments about immigration policies in the city. Standing Room Only More than a dozen residents turned out to voice their concerns about a proposed amendment that […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Local Government
City record keepers are bringing the clerk’s office into the digital age
Last year, the Albuquerque City Clerk’s Office digitized over a million public records in order to make them more accessible to citizens who file Inspection of Public Records Act requests, as well as city departments that need access to records. And they’re still going. “Currently we have 9,000 boxes and we also have 58 pallets […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Local Government
AFR ambulance gets a new home — in Ukraine
The city of Albuquerque is sending one of the fire department’s decommissioned ambulances to its sister city of Kharkiv in Ukraine as the country continues to face Russian attacks. The 2011 Ford F6G ambulance is in good working condition, said Sara Mannal, a city spokesperson. She said city leaders and community members wrote messages of […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Local Government
New fire rigs hit the streets
Three new fire engines are now patrolling the streets of Albuquerque. Albuquerque Fire Rescue marked the start of the engines’ service Tuesday with traditional “push-in ceremonies.” As the name implies, crews lent elbow grease to guide the trucks to their new apparatus bays. The new trucks replaced a trio of 12-year-old units that have responded […]
Posted inLocal Government
Budget planning in full swing as council fields concerns about libraries, museums
On Thursday, Albuquerque City Councilors held their first meeting to discuss and hear from constituents about the mayor’s $1.4 billion proposed budget for the next fiscal year. Budget Input Concerns about funding for the public library and the Explora Science Center and Children’s Museum drew the top comments from the handful of residents who attended […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Local Government
City investigated for undisclosed special ‘payouts’ to top officials who resigned
Exclusive in City Desk ABQ High-level city officials have been awarded thousands of dollars in extra compensation after announcing their resignations thanks to a special, and mostly unknown, leave program, City Desk ABQ has learned. The most high-profile recipient of the “special leave” was Sarita Nair, Mayor Tim Keller’s top aide and the city’s chief […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Housing & Homelessness, Local Government
City Council wants to hear your thoughts on the mayor’s proposed budget
Have some opinions on how the city should budget its money? The public is invited to share its thoughts with Albuquerque city councilors at two upcoming meetings — one this Thursday and another next Thursday. The Committee of the Whole will meet May 2 and May 9 to hear resident input on the mayor’s proposed budget […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Local Government
Library IT funds missing from mayor’s budget
The days of searching for a book using card catalogs and the Dewey Decimal System became obsolete at least a decade ago as libraries were computerized and digitized. This is one reason employees and supporters of the metro area’s 19 branches are concerned that the entire information technology (IT) budget — $400,000 — has been […]
Posted inFederal Government & Congress, Housing & Homelessness, Local Government
Councilor eyes return of Berry-era homeless labor initiative
An idea born under former Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry that provides day labor jobs for those experiencing homelessness could be making a comeback. “There’s a Better Way” was launched in 2015 and the initiative quickly gained national attention. After a year in operation, the Washington Post called it “a simple idea that works.” The […]