The Albuquerque City Council uses ranked choice voting (RCV) for its own internal seats. Now, Councilors Tammy Fiebelkorn, Nichole Rogers and Stephanie Telles have introduced Ordinance O-26-13 to extend that same system to citywide elections by November 2027. Under RCV, voters rank candidates by preference. If no one secures a majority, the lowest vote-getter is […]
Category: +Communities
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Albuquerque is making a new push to create more immigrant-friendly laws. Here’s what’s planned.
Albuquerque officials are launching a comprehensive strategy this spring to protect immigrants amid growing uncertainty about federal enforcement. Mayor Tim Keller and city councilors will introduce an ordinance in early March to permanently ban federal agents from using city resources. The move is part of the city’s Defend ABQ program. Alongside the new law, the city will […]
Posted inRoute 66 Independent
BCSO Sergeant fatally struck during traffic stop in East Mountains: Investigation underway
By Jesse Jones — A Bernalillo County sheriff’s sergeant was killed Monday evening after a tractor-trailer crashed into his patrol unit during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 near the East Mountains, Sheriff John Allen announced Monday night. Sgt. Michael Schlattman, a 13-year veteran of the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, called in the stop just […]
Posted inBernalillo County, Jobs, Workers & Economy
What does it cost to live in ABQ today? Living wage increases for singles, now exceeds $100K for families
By Jesse Jones — Even as wages inch upward across Bernalillo County, many residents still earn far less than what experts say it takes to cover basic needs like rent, food and child care. New data from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s annual Living Wage Calculator shows a single adult needs $21.87 per hour to survive in […]
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Albuquerque’s zoning rules are getting a rewrite — here’s what’s at stake Wednesday night
The Albuquerque City Council meets Wednesday, Feb. 18, with a packed agenda that could shape how the city grows and who helps run it. Councilors are set to take final action on the 2025 biennial update to the Integrated Development Ordinance, the city’s land-use code that governs where and how development happens. The sweeping citywide […]
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Lawsuit between Mayor, Council over paramedic staffing comes to sudden end
Mayor Tim Keller’s administration and the Albuquerque City Council have reached an agreement to end a legal fight over paramedic staffing, ending a long dispute over who controls emergency response staffing. Announced Monday, the deal resolves all outstanding legal challenges, including a separation-of-powers dispute filed earlier this year. The agreement establishes a formal review process […]
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ABQ legislators push to let City collect millions more in speed camera fines
A bill by two Albuquerque-area legislators moving through the Roundhouse could let Albuquerque keep an extra $2 million to $3 million a year in traffic fines — a shift that would cost the state roughly $5 million and remove current audit requirements. Senate Bill 91, sponsored by Albuquerque Democratic Sens. Heather Berghmans and Antoinette Sedillo […]
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BernCo Commission OKs data center restrictions
AI data centers wanting to call Bernaillo County home will have to show they can be good neighbors after Commissioners Tuesday approved a resolution placing restrictions on centers that might be built in the county in the future. The legislation, sponsored by Commissioner Eric Olivas, makes the installations responsible for their own electricity and water […]
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Will massive new funding push the New Mexico State Fair out of the city?
Jesse Jones, City Desk ABQ — The New Mexico Senate approved nearly $100 million in bonds Friday for the State Fairgrounds redevelopment, advancing a long-debated project. The investment could reshape Albuquerque’s International District with new housing and parks, or it could lead to relocating the State Fair after 87 years in the city. The Senate […]
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NM United stadium stuck in extra time as legal battle reaches the Court of Appeals
Jesse Jones, City Desk ABQ — The proposed New Mexico United stadium has been delayed as the team’s plan for a new home at Balloon Fiesta Park sits in the state appeals process, awaiting assignment to a three-judge panel. Because of the legal delay, United would not move into a new stadium until 2028 at […]