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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 Grout and Dan Lewis voted to override or keep the council’s changes, while Councilors Joaquín Baca, Tammy Fiebelkorn, Nichole Rogers and Stephanie Telles opposed, leaving many renters to suffer under in adequate cooling systems as summer heat ramps up.
Keller vetoed the measure April 30, saying the amended version weakened renter protections and failed to meet its original goals. The ordinance would have required landlords to run cooling systems from May 1 through Sept. 30, but the Council gutted the ordinance before it passed. Councilor Fiebelkorn, the original sponsor, withdrew her support after a floor amendment stripped out a requirement that units stay at least 15 degrees cooler than outdoor temperatures when the temperature reaches 85 degrees. Champine, Grout and Bassan then took over sponsorship.
Separately, another of Keller’s vetoes was also upheld, this time involving funding for the Bands of Enchantment music series. He rejected a $280,000 budget increase, arguing that directing a total of $1.4 million in public funds to a for-profit business would be an illegal use of public funds for a private business. Unlike the cooling ordinance vote, Councilors did not attempt an override; there was no motion made, and the veto stood.
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