The Albuquerque City Council unanimously approved a quarter-billion-dollar tax break at the June 16 City Council meeting for a three-part luxury development in the Sawmill District, despite public pushback over affordable housing, fair wages and developer accountability. The City Council voted unanimously Monday to approve industrial revenue bonds for three projects, a hotel, extended-stay suites […]
Author Archives: Jesse Jones
Jesse Jones is a reporter covering local government and news for nm.news
Posted inAlbuquerque
Albuquerque holds Comcast accountable for months-long cable hazards
The City of Albuquerque said it is fining Comcast $500 a day for leaving exposed internet cables in Northeast Heights neighborhoods, calling the months-old hazards a safety risk. City officials say Comcast left cable and phone lines exposed at eight sites across Albuquerque — dangling from trees, stretched across driveways and taped along sidewalks. Neighbors […]
Posted inAlbuquerque
Sawmill District set for major makeover with $227M tax break proposal
City of Albuquerque officials could approve a quarter-billion-dollar tax break for a luxury hotel, apartment and retail development in the Sawmill District near Old Town. The City Council is set to vote on a proposal backed by Mayor Tim Keller to issue $227.5 million in industrial revenue bonds to help fund three developments by Sawmill […]
Posted inAlbuquerque
Mayor Keller vetoes four key items in Albuquerque’s $1.5B budget over legal, equity concerns
Mayor Tim Keller vetoed four parts of Albuquerque’s newly approved $1.5 billion budget, saying the changes are needed to stay within the law and treat nonprofits more fairly and setting up a potential council override fight. The mayor’s line‑item veto strikes funding for an independent permitting office, shuffles economic‑development dollars back to cultural partners and […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Downtown, General Interest
Downtown Albuquerque Rail Trail construction starts June 16
Construction will begin Monday, June 16, on the Central Crossing Bridge at Central Avenue and First Street, part of the planned seven-mile Albuquerque Rail Trail that will affect downtown travel for nearly a year. The 10-month project will reshape a key downtown intersection, shifting bus routes, limiting vehicle turns and closing parts of the sidewalk […]
Posted inAlbuquerque
Mayor’s rent plan fizzles in council committee
Mayor Tim Keller’s push for a local renters’ bill of rights hit a wall Wednesday as a City Council committee voted against advancing the plan without recommendation. The Albuquerque City Council’s Land Use, Planning and Zoning Committee rejected Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn’s motion 3–2 to send the proposed Renters’ Bill of Rights to the full Council […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Local Gov.
Mayor, City Council spar over paramedic staffing
A strife over paramedic staffing is testing the balance of power at the Albuquerque City Hall, which could reshape how the city responds to emergencies. At the center of the dispute is a City Council rule requiring two paramedics on every rescue unit — a move the Keller administration says hurts emergency response and crosses […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, General Interest
Albuquerque boosts animal shelter services for summer surge
Starting June 9, Albuquerque’s Westside animal shelter will open seven days a week to ease overcrowding and make pet adoptions and services more accessible during the busy summer season. The City of Albuquerque’s Animal Welfare Department is expanding its Westside shelter hours to match its Eastside location, now open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 6 […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Local Gov.
Fixing the fiber fiasco
Frustrated Albuquerque residents called for action at a public hearing on new fiber rules aimed at curbing damage from broadband work, part of a formal process to collect community feedback and testimony. Frustrated Burqueños packed a June 5 virtual meeting with stories of broken water lines, sinking trenches and weeks of no response after broadband […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Local Gov.
ABQ looks to end THC-lookalike sales
The Albuquerque City Council voted 7–2 to ban the sale of synthetic THC-lookalike products, calling them a health risk and saying there’s no solid oversight. Albuquerque would become the first city in New Mexico to ban the production and sale of hemp-based cannabinoids like Delta-8 and THC-A if the mayor doesn’t veto the June 2 […]