Jesse Jones, Author at City Desk ABQ

Council Vice-President Dan Champine is introducing amendments to the city charter to make the City Attorney and City Clerk separate from the administration and the council. (Jesse Jones)

In next battle between council and mayor, Councilor wants voters to remove key directors from mayor’s supervision

by Jesse Jones May 18, 2026May 18, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — An Albuquerque city councilor wants to keep the city’s top legal officer and chief record-keeper independent of the political winds that shift with each municipal election. Council Vice-President Dan Champine is sponsoring a pair of measures at Monday night’s City Council meeting that would let voters decide in the […]

In downtown Albuquerque, The Alvarado Apartments is among 148 properties with multiple violations the proposed ordinance would target. (Staff photo)

City Council considers stricter repair timelines for ‘Bad Actor’ landlords

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — City councilors and landlords all agree that a handful of “bad actors” are giving landlords citywide a bad image, but a proposal before the city council to increase fines and require faster repairs by the worst offenders faced challenges in it’s first hearing. The city received more than 2,111 […]

Pictured is the new Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) headquarters located at 1210 San Mateo Blvd. SE. The new 10,800-square-foot facility is located in the International District, and along with housing ACS staff and programs, will also serve as a space for community resources and gatherings Photo by Roberto E. Rosales/City Desk Abq.

ABQ moves to permanently fund new safety branches without a rate hike

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque voters may soon decide whether to modernize how the city’s Public Safety Tax is spent, all without seeing any increase in their actual tax rate. We all already pay the Public Safety Tax – 1/4 of 1%, or 25-cents on each $100 transaction – as a part of […]

The Bernalillo County Commissioners unanimously approved the FY27–FY28 Biennial Budget (Jesse Jones)

As City works to plug budget hole, County approves record $1B budget with surplus

by Jesse Jones May 11, 2026June 4, 2026

By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — Unlike councilors in the City of Albuquerque who are trying to plug a $30-ish million budget hole tied to slower economic activity, Bernalillo County will start the year on stable financial footing, having closed an $8.5 million budget shortfall. Correction: An earlier version of this article […]

The Albuquerque City Council during the April, 6 meeting in the Vincent E. Griego Chambers. Credit: Jesse Jones

City quietly dropped plans for highly touted “Gateway for seniors” at Juniper Flats

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For Burqueños hoping for relief from the affordable housing crisis, the finish line just moved further away when a promised solution to turn a former hotel into long-term affordable apartments for seniors touted by the mayor during his election quietly fell through. During the April 6 City Council meeting, […]

Keller veto holds: Council leaves rules requiring better A/C for renters in limbo

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 […]

Crime scene investigators at the scene of a shooting near the intersection of Central Avenue and Gold in downtown Albuquerque. Roberto E/ Rosales/City Desk ABQ

Albuquerque’s new ‘Safety Zones’: A boost for business or a crackdown on poverty?

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — A new Albuquerque ordinance hands the mayor power to surge police and city services along commercial corridors, a move supporters call a boost for local business and critics blast as a crackdown on the city’s most vulnerable. On Monday, the Albuquerque City Council voted 6-3 to approve the “Enhanced […]

Bernalillo County Assessor Damian Lara and Treasurer Tim Eichenberg face off over short-term rental property taxes

The Bernalillo County tax civil war: Assessor vs. Treasurer

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — A legal fight over a short-term rental tax has escalated into a civil war inside the Bernalillo County government — and a Democratic primary battle in the background — pitting top financial officials against each other over millions in tax revenue and allegations of ethical misconduct. The dispute simmering between County […]

Pictured is the crime scene at the Adam Food Market on the corner of Central Avenue and Pennsylvania where a woman was shot to death in the parking lot of the store Wednesday evening January 17th, 2024. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales/The City Desk

Is Albuquerque settling for slow 911 response times?

By Jesse Jones, City Desk ABQ in The Paper. — When a crisis strikes, every second counts. On a ringing 911 line, those seconds can feel like an eternity. Even as call volume drops and the city rolls out new technology, dispatchers are falling further behind national standards, leaving more callers waiting longer for someone […]

Pictured is Albuquerque city hall in Downtown

Albuquerque, Local Government

Albuquerque budget hearings kick off: Here’s how you can weigh in on how the city spends $1.47 billion

by Jesse Jones April 28, 2026April 28, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Over the next two weeks, Burqueños will have a chance to weigh in on Mayor Tim Keller’s $1.47 billion budget proposal before the City Council votes to approve or amend it. Whether it’s police response times, city parks or how the city addresses homelessness, councilors are opening the floor […]