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 […]
Category: +News
South Valley gets new “microtransit zone” with new bus lines and door-to-door service
South Valley residents relying on public transit, or wanting to, will soon see more buses as a part of an expansion of the city’s ABQ RIDE Forward program creating a “microtransit zone” for the area. Changes Starting May 16: “This phase will better connect the South Valley,” said Transit Director Leslie Keener. “The area will greatly […]
As City works to plug budget hole, County approves record $1B budget with surplus
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 with a $70 million budget surplus thanks to increasing property tax revenue which funds the majority of county […]
Feds. sue New Mexico, Albuquerque to block anti-ICE laws
Albuquerque — The U.S. Department of Justice late Friday sued the state and City of Albuquerque to pause enforcement of local legislation the federal government says would impede federal immigration enforcement in the state. Federal officials asked a federal judge for an injunction prohibiting the state from enforcing House Bill 9, the “Immigrant Safety Ordinance” […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
May Day draws thousands to Civic Plaza from unions, allies in fight for “Workers over billionaires”
Albuquerque – Thousands of people descended on Albuquerque’s Civic Plaza under unusually cloudy and windy skies Friday as a part of a day long May Day “strike” against a growing wealth and opportunity gap in the country. The events were organized by more than two dozen labor unions including Teamsters Local 492, UA Local 412, […]
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 […]

