+Communities Archives - City Desk ABQ

Albuquerque’s record $1.5 billion budget heads to the state, without Keller’s signature

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Burqueños and city workers can breathe a sigh of relief as the city’s new $1.5 billion budget becomes law without the stroke of the mayor’s pen. The plan avoids resident trash fee hikes, locks in funding for core community services from public safety to senior programs and includes upcoming […]

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

BernCo balanced its budget, expands free programs without raising taxes

by Jesse Jones June 4, 2026June 8, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For Bernalillo County families already stretched by rising costs, the new county budget aims to lighten the load, with no tax hikes and more free programming at community centers. Faced with an $8.5 million budget gap, county leaders balanced the $857.7 million budget without raising taxes or cutting services, […]

Pictured is a Bosque fire near the river and Montano Bridge. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales/The City Desk. January 12th, 2024.

Albuquerque, Bernalillo County, Local Government

Planning for the 4th of July? What you need to know about ABQ’s fireworks rule

by Jesse Jones June 3, 2026June 8, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — As Burqueños prepare to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial — the United States’ 250th birthday — they’ll have to navigate Albuquerque’s rules on what fireworks can legally be set off in their neighborhoods. Recent wildfires across New Mexico and within city limits may have firefighters on alert, but city fire […]

An Albuquerque Environmental Health Department employee deploys a mosquito surveillance trap. The city's five-person Urban Biology team uses data collected from these traps to monitor roughly 20 local species and track high-priority public health threats like West Nile virus. (CABQ)

Return of the ‘ankle-biters’

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Duke City residents looking forward to patio season may think they got through an unusually quiet spring bug season unscathed, but Albuquerque — currently ranked 38th on Orkin’s Top 50 Worst Mosquito Cities List — local health officials expect to see a spike in mosquito populations very soon. The […]

A man is forcefully removed by police following an explosive public comment period at City Hall. Behind the commotion, Councilor Rogers is seen covering her face, while Councilor Telles follows the group out to speak with the man and defuse the confrontation. (Jesse Jones)

Albuquerque, Jobs, Workers & Economy, Local Government, NM.news

City Council ejects speakers in raucous debate, before approving new Albuquerque minimum wage

by Jesse Jones June 2, 2026June 8, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Burqueños workers making minimum wage have something to be excited about – if they have patience – after the Albuquerque City Council approved a $3 increase to the city’s minimum wage Monday night after a packed and at times raucous meeting that drew so many people that some were […]

Saggio’s restaurant near UNM placed a hiring sign Tuesday afternoon. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales for the Paper

Wages vs. Rents: Albuquerque council set to vote on historic $15 minimum wage overhaul tonight

By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — Burqueño workers and small business owners could soon feel the impact in their wallets as the City Council prepares to vote tonight on an overhaul of the city’s minimum wage law. As written, the proposal would break from the state’s minimum wage base for the first […]

Renée Grout was reelected chair of the Committee of the Whole on Monday, a role that oversees the city's $1.5 billion budget and capital improvements program. Grout previously served as council vice president in 2023 and 2024.

ABQ tries to break its heavy metal habit with new copper theft law

By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — Drivers and pedestrians are navigating dark stretches of East Central Avenue after copper thieves have ripped wiring from streetlights, prompting a pair of city councilors to tighten Albuquerque’s scrap metal recycling laws in an effort to curb the vandalism. Rather than creating a new law, Councilors […]

Albuquerque, Local Government

After Lindy’s collapse, Councilor Baca pushes $5,000 vacancy fines, maintenance rules for Downtown buildings

by Jesse Jones May 26, 2026May 26, 2026

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Residents and visitors can’t help but notice the empty buildings Downtown; the sudden structural failure of the Lindy’s building made those eyesores into a public hazard. Now, a councilor who pushed for stronger regulations on vacant and unkept properties Downtown other councilors removed from a prior bill. Sponsored by […]

A city bus leaves the Alvarado Transportation Center in downtown Albuquerque where most people transfer buses to reach their destination throughout Albuquerque. Photo by Roberto E. Rosales/The City Desk. January 19th, 2024.

Why Burqueños might feel safer on buses

By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Burqueños riding public transit may be feeling safer lately as new ABQ Ride data shows security calls across the transit system are dropping even while ridership continues to grow. Data reviewed by City Desk from ABQ Ride’s third-quarter report shows safety calls dropped 21% from last year, averaging 1,871 […]

The Albuquerque City Council debates the city budget during the May 18 council meeting. (Jesse Jones)

After mayor warns of budget woes, Council OK’s city’s biggest budget ever

By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — The City Council passed the city’s largest-ever budget, $1.5 billion, Monday night overcoming earlier warnings from the mayor that future spending would have to be cut to meet slower economic projections. The spending plan, passing 7-2, with councilors Brook Bassan and Dan Lewis voting against it, […]