Albuquerque families may soon see greener parks after City Councilor Dan Lewis introduced an emergency resolution to spend $2 million from city reserves on immediate turf replacement, saying budget cuts left fields patchy and overrun with weeds. The proposed resolution, R-25-183, introduced Aug. 18, targets parks citywide that are suffering from dead grass and weeds, […]
Category: Local Gov.
Keller’s State of the City: Crime down, quantum ambitions up
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller delivered his 2025 State of the City address Saturday, highlighting crime reduction achievements and unveiling an ambitious plan to position Albuquerque as a global quantum computing hub. Keller, who is running for a third term as Duke City mayor in November, mentioned his wins over the past eight years and the […]
Drop box drama: Needles and sticky stuff lead to removal by treasurer
Bernalillo County will remove all five property tax payment drop boxes by Oct. 1, citing underuse and security concerns, officials announced Thursday. The turquoise drop boxes, located at Civic Plaza, Paradise Hills Community Center, West Side Community Center, Raymond G. Sanchez Community Center and the Village of Tijeras Office, will begin being removed next month […]
Mayor signs HEART ordinance amendment targeting public animal sales
Mayor Tim Keller has signed an amendment to the city’s Humane and Ethical Animal Rules and Treatment ordinance that closes enforcement gaps in regulating unlawful animal sales in public spaces. The amendment, sponsored by District 7 City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn and unanimously approved by the City Council on Aug. 4, prohibits displaying, selling or giving […]
Op-ed: New Mexico needs strong heat safety rules for workers
Submitted by Albuquerque City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn Every year, it gets hotter in Albuquerque. Summers stretch longer, temperatures climb higher, and extreme heat warnings become more frequent. What we’re experiencing is no accident, it’s the reality of climate change, unfolding right here in our city. This crisis doesn’t impact everyone equally. The people on the […]
ABQ will not ‘give in to bullying:’ Keller defies federal immigration demands in letter to U.S. Attorney General
Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller is refusing federal demands to eliminate city policies that protect immigrants, telling Attorney General Pamela Bondi in a letter Wednesday that the city will “not give in to bullying” and has no plans to change its immigrant-friendly laws. The mayor’s defiant response comes as the Trump administration ramps up pressure on […]
Bernalillo County votes to approve $225 million energy storage project to get PNM grid to carbon-free power
By Connor Currier Bernalillo County commissioners will move forward with a proposed $225 million energy storage project that aims to support New Mexico’s transition to renewable energy. The Board of County Commissioners approved issuing taxable industrial revenue bonds for Corazon Energy Storage LLC with a 3-1 vote. Vice Chair Barbara Baca was absent from the […]
From red tape to rapid construction: Councilors embrace “supply-side progressivism” to remove red tape delaying housing spending
As Albuquerque’s housing crisis deepens—with rents rising, homelessness up 83% from 2022-2023 and a shortage of 20,000 units—city leaders are turning to “supply-side progressivism” to speed affordable housing construction. The law, sponsored by District 2 Councilor Joaquín Baca and co-sponsored by District 6 Councilor Nichole Rogers, passed unanimously 9-0 at the Aug. 18 City Council […]
Bernalillo County to consider over $400 million in economic development projects Tuesday
Bernalillo County commissioners will vote Tuesday on more than $400 million in economic development projects that could bring hundreds of jobs and affordable housing units to the area. The Board of County Commissioners will consider industrial revenue bonds for a $225 million battery energy storage facility and $46 million in financing for 239 apartment units […]
City Council to address housing, internet and budget concerns
The Albuquerque City Council meets at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 18, with a light agenda. The Downtown Core Vacancy Report and a likely deferral of Gateway housing expansion contracts to September are set for the consent agenda. Councilors will also consider canceling a planned moratorium on fiber internet permits and hear a proposal to speed […]