By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Days after the City of Albuquerque’s Transit Department announced that its Christmas Eve Luminaria Bus Tour had been canceled this year, Mayor Tim Keller announced Wednesday that the popular holiday tradition is back on. In a news release, the administration said Keller directed the city to continue the annual […]
Category: Albuquerque
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Fed up Albuquerque renters put new city protections to the test
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For more than a year, City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn has pushed for stronger renter protections, one city ordinance at a time. In June, two of her measures became law: the Rental Unit Habitability Enforcement Ordinance and a resolution requiring the city to prioritize safety violations. Now those protections are […]
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‘Is the City the Grinch?’ Councilor slams decision to cancel Luminaria Bus Tour
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — For 70 years, Burqueños have celebrated Christmas Eve aboard the Luminaria Bus Tour, riding city buses through the Old Town and Huning Castle neighborhoods to see glowing luminarias and neighbors gathered around bonfires. Now, the city has ended the tradition, saying the tour is no longer cost-effective. At Monday’s […]
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Council Preview: City Council faces decisions on shelter and multiple appeals
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque city councilors on Monday will address development projects, city spending and the future of a controversial overnight shelter during a meeting that also includes a slate of routine appointments and contract approvals. During the Sept. 21 meeting, councilors are expected to formally adopt findings from the last meeting’s […]
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Albuquerque gets serious about AI with new citywide rules
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Residents in the Duke City will soon be able to track the artificial intelligence tools used by city government, voice concerns to a new advisory board and see new AI rules for city tech vendors after the City Council approved a trio of ordinances targeting AI in city government. […]
Posted inAlbuquerque, Local Government
Scammers lose a tool as ABQ bans crypto ATMs
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Scammers have one fewer tool in their toolbox after the Albuquerque City Council approved a citywide ban on cryptocurrency ATMs. On Sept. 9, councilors voted 6-3 to pass the Virtual Currency Ordinance, sponsored by Councilor Stephanie Telles, banning cryptocurrency ATMs, also known as bitcoin teller machines, and cashier-assisted cryptocurrency […]
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Council to try to override another Keller veto in ongoing power struggle over city attorney
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — With Monday’s Labor Day holiday pushing City Council’s meeting to Wednesday, councilors face an agenda heavy on technology alongside another fight with the mayor over who oversees the city attorney. Councilors will get another chance to take a crack at O-26-54, deciding whether to override Mayor Tim Keller’s veto […]
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An old idea is back: Keller quietly floats a city-county merger
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Mayor Tim Keller stood before Burqueños weeks ago and laid out his vision for Albuquerque’s future in his first State of the City address of his third term. But one idea drafted in his speech never made it to the microphone: an “honest conversation” about merging the city and […]
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The FBI says ABQ had 75 homicides last year. APD reported only 65. Who is right and why can’t they agree on this big crime stat?
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — When Burqueños look at local and federal crime reports, they might be surprised to find that Washington and City Hall disagree on exactly how many people were murdered in Albuquerque last year. We wanted to know why that is and we found that even APD isn’t entirely sure why […]
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Burque sues big tobacco to clean up its butts from city parks, drains
By Jesse Jones, The Paper. — Albuquerque is suing some of the biggest names in tobacco to make them pay for the cleanup of cigarette butts that clog city storm drains, litter public parks and reach the Rio Grande. The city alleges the companies have known for decades that their plastic filters create pollution and […]