Jesse Jones, Author at City Desk ABQ

The seal of the Albuquerque City Council

Albuquerque City Council picks up where last meeting left off

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Tonight’s Albuquerque City Council meeting will feel like a continuation of the last one, with councilors revisiting a controversial zoning appeal fee proposal and other issues they left unresolved at the Oct. 5 meeting. Councilors postponed the zoning proposal and ran out of time to consider another item on […]

Several dozen homeless folks currently camp under interstate I-40 and first street. Many express frustration of authorities coming by everyday and kicking them out but decide to return an hour later. This has been their daily routine for months now. Pictured is a fentanyl pill about to be consumed. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales / City Desk Abq

Bernalillo County approves emergency powers to fight fentanyl crisis

By Jesse Jones, The Paper, — Bernalillo County is moving to cut red tape so it can get emergency medical care to the streets faster, overhaul jail detox programs and crack down on fentanyl trafficking. Commissioners approved an emergency declaration Wednesday that grants emergency authority to the county manager and asks the state for additional […]

Community members fill the Bernalillo County Commission chambers during an Oct. 14 hearing on an appeal challenging approval of the proposed Albuquerque Islamic Center on Second Street NW. Commissioners voted 4-1 to deny the appeal and uphold the project's conditional-use approval. Courtesy of the Albuquerque Islamic Center.

North Valley mosque appeal fails; traffic questions remain

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — North Valley residents who challenged plans for a proposed mosque lost their appeal Wednesday evening when Bernalillo County commissioners denied the appeal and upheld conditional-use approval for the Albuquerque Islamic Center on Second Street. Residents raised concerns about traffic and the area’s rural character. During its Oct. 14 zoning […]

Bernalillo County plans expanded fentanyl response as commissioners weigh emergency declaration

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — About six people a week died from opioid-related causes in Bernalillo County last year. Now, county commissioners are considering an emergency declaration to help fund a more robust response, including expanded street medicine and addiction treatment, real-time overdose tracking and a new sheriff’s operation targeting drug traffickers. Bernalillo County […]

Bernalillo County @ Alvarado Square, Downtown Albuquerque. (Jesse Jones, The Paper.)

From fentanyl to housing: What’s on the table at Wednesday’s BernCo meeting

by Jesse Jones October 13, 2026

by Jesse Jones, The Paper. — With Bernalillo County averaging six opioid-related deaths a week in 2025, commissioners will consider declaring a state of emergency over the fentanyl crisis Wednesday. They’ll also consider tax breaks for housing developments that would add hundreds of apartments in Albuquerque and discuss plans to transition health care services at […]

A sink filled with sewage at Mont44 Apartments. Courtesy of CABQ.

Albuquerque, Local Government

What happened to the 10 out-of-state properties on Albuquerque’s Lazy Landlord list?

by Jesse Jones October 13, 2026October 22, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — When raw sewage backed into kitchen sinks and bathtubs at the Mont44 apartment complex, residents organized a tenant union. Landing on Albuquerque’s landlord list in June brought no immediate relief. Maintenance crews only returned after a September city inspection of more than 60 units, organized with tenants. Mont44’s experience […]

The Peer Empowerment Center at 913 Second Street NW in Albuquerque helps people become Certified Peer Support Workers and provides career support for current peer workers. (Courtesy of the Albuquerque Center for Hope and Recovery)

Bernalillo County, Healthcare

Bernalillo County opens center to turn recovery into a career

by Jesse Jones October 13, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For people who have gone through recovery, that experience can become more than a part of their past. It can shape their future and become a career helping others navigate mental health and substance-use challenges. Bernalillo County, in coordination with the Albuquerque Center for Hope and Recovery (ACHR), has […]

A view of Albuquerque. The City Council reviewed the city’s final FY26 objectives report Oct. 5, which outlines goals the city met, fell short on and will carry into the next fiscal year. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales for the Paper

Albuquerque, Local Government

Albuquerque’s report card is in. Here’s what went right and what’s still a work in progress

by Jesse Jones October 8, 2026October 22, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque checked off some goals this year, while others are still a work in progress. The City Council reviewed Mayor Tim Keller’s fiscal year 2026 objectives Monday, Oct. 5, looking at everything from thousands of visits at the Gateway sobering center to ongoing problems with recycling and transit. Councilors […]

Hot air balloons fill the sky over Albuquerque during the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. The annual event draws hundreds of thousands of guest visits and generates millions of dollars in economic activity for the city. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales/City Desk ABQ.

Albuquerque, Jobs, Workers & Economy

When the green flag flies, Albuquerque’s economy gets a lift

by Jesse Jones October 8, 2026October 22, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For nine days each October, hot air balloons fill Albuquerque’s morning sky as visitors pack hotels, restaurants and businesses across the city. The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta brings hundreds of thousands of visitors, boosting the local economy. As the 2026 event continues, its full economic impact is still taking […]

The Albuquerque City Council meets Oct. 5 during a meeting where councilors approved changes shifting development notice and appeal rights from regional coalitions to neighborhood associations. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales for the Paper

Albuquerque, Local Government

Coalitions lose clout as Albuquerque puts neighborhood associations in charge

by Jesse Jones October 6, 2026October 22, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Who decides what gets built on your street? When a new apartment complex, business or other development is proposed nearby, Burqueños often look to neighborhood coalitions to stay informed and track community developments. That role changed Monday after the City Council voted to strip coalitions of formal recognition and […]