Bernalillo County Archives - Page 2 of 6

Last year, 389 people were denied a gun in Bernalillo County. Then they got a friendly visit from the sheriff.

For most gun buyers in Bernalillo County, a background check is a routine step. But for 389 people last year, that check ended in a denial and a visit from the sheriff’s office. Instead of a raid, these individuals often received a “knock and talk” from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office Behavioral Health Unit (BHU). These visits […]

Scorecard for subsidies: BernCo looks to tie public subsidies to private company benefits

County commissioners reviewed new economic development policies Tuesday aimed at ensuring businesses receiving public subsidies provide measurable benefits to local communities. The Board of County Commissioners heard findings from a steering committee that conducted five community meetings and a countywide survey over the past year. Commissioner Barbara Baca, who led the initiative, introduced a resolution […]

BorderPlex Digital Assets included this rendering of Project Jupiter in a presentation to a legislative committee in New Mexico in July. (BorderPlex Digital Assets)

County presses pause on AI data center incentive

Following a lengthy debate over water use, renewable energy and local hiring requirements, Bernalillo County commissioners pumped the brakes on a proposed framework for incentivizing AI and data center projects, voting to defer the item until their next meeting rather than approve or reject it outright. Commissioner Eric Olivas, who sponsored the “Holding Data Center […]

Historic investments and more work ahead: Barbara Baca announces re-election bid for District 1 commissioner

Bernalillo County Commissioner Barbara Baca announced Wednesday she will seek re-election in the June Democratic primary for District 1, which encompasses Albuquerque’s Westside and North Valley. Baca, a lifelong Westside resident and 14th-generation New Mexican, said she is running to continue work on housing, behavioral health and public safety initiatives begun during her first term. […]

County to weigh strict rules for data center incentives

Bernalillo County commissioners are set to revisit a high-stakes resolution aimed at tightening oversight of large data center and AI infrastructure projects when they meet Tuesday in Albuquerque. The “Holding Data Center Projects Accountable in Our Community” measure, introduced at the Jan. 13 meeting, would condition county incentives on clear community benefits and sustainability standards. Under […]

Bernalillo County seeks $72.9 million for capital projects in 2026 session

Bernalillo County is requesting $72.9 million in capital outlay funding for the 2026 legislative session to address public safety, housing, infrastructure and other countywide priorities. The funding request combines major capital projects with investments tailored to each of the county’s five commission districts, officials said. County commissioners are seeking $5 million to expand the Mesa […]

DWI cases filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court have reached a multiyear high in 2025, even as the Albuquerque Police Department remains silent on its arrest data following a decades-long corruption scandal that has decimated its specialized DWI unit. (Roberto E. Rosales)

DWI cases rebound in Bernalillo County court after APD corruption scandal

DWI cases filed in Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court reached a multiyear high in 2025 and APD arrests are on the rise following a decades-long corruption scandal that has decimated its specialized DWI unit, a City Desk investigation found. The court recorded 2,404 total DWI filings in 2025, consisting of 2,360 misdemeanor and 44 felony cases, […]

Pictured is Bernalillo County’s administrative headquarters, at 415 Silver Ave. SW downtown Albuquerque. (Jesse Jones)

Bernalillo County moves to regulate AI data center expansion

With Project Jupiter, a controversial campus of data centers slated for Doña Ana County, in the works, the Bernalillo County Commission took a first step Tuesday toward imposing some of the state’s strictest regulations on data center development, introducing a resolution that would tie taxpayer-funded incentives to aggressive hiring, wage and environmental standards. Sponsored by […]

Adriann Barboa was elected as the new chair of the Bernalillo County Commission at its Jan. 13 meeting. (Jesse Jones)

New leadership takes the gavel in Bernalillo County

The Bernalillo County Commission elected the new chair and vice chair of the commission in its first meeting of the 2026 calendar year, where Adriann Barboa took over as the commission chair with Frank Baca as her vice chair. The commission voted 5-0 for Barboa to take over the gavel from outgoing chair Eric Olivas. […]

BorderPlex Digital Assets in August gave lawmakers on the state Legislative Finance Committee a rendering of Project Jupiter. (Courtesy of BorderPlex Digital Assets)

Bernalillo County Commission to consider data center regulations

The Bernalillo County Commission is set to tackle a landmark proposal to regulate data center incentives and a final vote on a revision of the county’s ethics code on Jan. 13. Commissioner Eric Olivas said he will introduce a resolution establishing strict criteria for data center projects that seek taxpayer-funded incentives. “If we are to […]