The Albuquerque City Council could vote Monday on more than $800 million in spending, including historic industrial bonds for a fusion energy facility and millions for homelessness programs that have faced intense scrutiny. At the Sept. 15 meeting, councilors are set to consider $776.6 million in industrial revenue bonds for Pacific Fusion LLC’s Mesa del […]
Author Archives: Jesse Jones
Jesse Jones is a reporter covering local government and news for nm.news
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
What happened to Albuquerque’s homeless encampment tracker?
What happened to Albuquerque’s public transparency tool tracking encampment responses? After CityDesk contacted the city about the frozen transparency tool, officials not only acknowledged the problem but created an entirely new dashboard with current data, delivering on their promise to restore it by “end of day”. Albuquerque’s original “Encampment Reports & Responses” dashboard, launched in […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness, Sandoval County
Sanchez loans $150K to mayoral campaign, but financial disclosures show no assets to loan
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story reported that Sanchez’s 2025 finance report showed no income. A change in the clerk’s process, discussed in the story below, let Sanchez refer to previous filings. Those filings still failed to report some income and still do not show the loan or source of funds for it. […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
Albuquerque becomes New Mexico’s homeless hub as Gateway contracts add 100 Beds
Albuquerque city councilors approved three Gateway Center contracts Tuesday, Sept. 3. The vote reflects a growing reality: Albuquerque has become New Mexico’s hub for homeless services, managing problems that extend far beyond its borders. The 100 new shelter beds, approved in 7-2 votes, will serve a population of 2,740 homeless residents — a 109% increase […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
Albuquerque city councilor accuses committee of ‘hiding’ fraud reports past legal deadline
More than two weeks past what he calls the legal deadline, Albuquerque District 5 City Councilor Dan Lewis is demanding the release of Inspector General reports on fraud, waste and abuse, accusing the city’s oversight committee of “hiding” public documents. Lewis sent a Sept. 3 letter demanding the Accountability and Government Oversight Committee convene by […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
Albuquerque declares 23 acres ‘blighted’ to spur business growth and revitalize corridor
A struggling stretch of San Mateo Boulevard could get new life after Albuquerque city councilors voted unanimously this week to designate 23 acres as “blighted,” opening the door to tax breaks and redevelopment incentives. The resolution expands the Central/Highland/Upper Nob Hill Metropolitan Redevelopment Area to cover businesses between Central and Lomas, where closures and deteriorating […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness
What happened to Albuquerque’s broken shelter bed tracker?
Last fall, the City of Albuquerque launched its Shelter Connect Dashboard to help first responders see which shelters had open beds. But by this summer, the public tracker was showing badly outdated numbers with Good Shepherd stuck on November 2023 and S.A.F.E. House on October 2024. The stale data raised doubts about whether the tool […]
Posted inHousing & Homelessness, New Mexico State Gov.
The Last Hurrah
The 2025 New Mexico State Fair could be Albuquerque’s last hurrah for a tradition that has drawn crowds for 87 years, as government leaders weigh relocation mere months before a state-imposed deadline. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has set a March deadline to decide the State Fair’s future, raising the possibility that 2025 could end nearly […]
Posted inLocal Gov.
Gateway contracts return to council after $70M program criticism
Albuquerque city councilors will vote Wednesday, Sept. 3, on millions in Gateway Center contracts that were postponed from the Aug. 18 meeting after calls for more accountability in the city’s $70 million homeless program. The contracts with Chicanos Por La Causa for women’s housing navigation and Community Bridges for men’s services were delayed last month. […]
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Marble Brewery inks deal to brew Bosque beers
What started as a regulatory snag for one of Albuquerque’s top breweries has turned into a first-of-its-kind partnership in New Mexico’s craft beer scene. Marble Brewery confirmed to City Desk that it will produce and distribute Bosque Brewing’s flagship beers statewide while Bosque works through wastewater compliance issues at its facility in the Town of […]