Albuquerque moves quickly to remove César Chávez from streets, public honors following abuse disclosures by Dolores Huerta, others

By Jesse Jones, City Desk ABQ in The Paper. — City officials took swift action Wednesday to initiate the renaming of local sites honoring civil rights organizer and Chicano icon César Chávez following disclosures by fellow activist Dolores Huerta that he pressured her for sex resulting in pregnancies.  City Councilor Joaquín Baca told City Desk […]

Council kills controversial tax hike after floor amendments slash rate

By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — Albuquerque city workers filled the City Council chambers hoping a new tax would fund long-awaited raises, but they left empty-handed. Councilors voted 8-1 Monday night to kill a proposed gross receipts tax increase before the state deadline, shelving a plan meant to fund community projects and […]

Council OK’s ordinance to thwart ICE arrests in Albuquerque

By Jesse Jones City Desk in The Paper. — The Albuquerque City Council meeting opened Monday to a packed chamber as officials took up several controversial measures. The crowd thinned as the agenda moved forward, but a large group of community activists and immigrants, many wearing bright blue shirts from El Centro de Igualdad y […]

Consultants send “preferred plan” keeping State Fair, adding stadium to Fairgrounds board

By Jesse Jones and Pat Davis, City Desk in The Paper. — Consultants tasked with recommending options for redevelopment of the State Fairgrounds will recommend a $240 million multi-year master plan to serve as a catalyst for neighborhood revitalization on and off-site, City Desk has learned.  The plan presented in a public meeting Friday evening […]

Exclusive: Frustrated with stadium legal delays, New Mexico United open to Fairgrounds “pivot”

By Jesse Jones and Pat Davis, City Desk in The Paper. — Soccer fans may have a new reason to care about redevelopment at the New Mexico State Fair. In an exclusive interview with City Desk, New Mexico United Co-owner and CEO Peter Trevisani says the New Mexico United would be open to moving its […]

Whatever happened to Daniel Chavez, mayoral candidate charged with touching staffer?

By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — In September, City Desk reported that prosecutors charged Albuquerque mayoral candidate Daniel Chavez after a campaign staffer accused him of inappropriate touching, a misdemeanor battery charge. Prosecutors have now dismissed the case.  The 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case on Feb. 20, 2026, in […]

Commissioner’s claims that Gov has secret plan to move NM United stadium to fairgrounds fizzles under fact-check

By Jesse Jones, City Desk in The Paper. — Bernalillo County Commission Chair Adriann Barboa sent an early morning call to the community Wednesday for a press conference at the Expo New Mexico entrance that was long on rumors and short on facts. During the briefing, Barboa claimed that “people who represent the governor and […]

City councilor seeks to make mayor, councilors liable for blocking ICE arrests in Albuquerque

A day after a trio of city councilors joined dozens of community advocates and state legislators in support of new city legislation to frustrate federal immigration enforcement efforts in Albuquerque, another councilor says he’ll try to amend the bill to make them liable for the consequences. In Feb., City Desk reported that some city councilors […]

Former sheriff will file to run against BernCo sheriff John Allen in Dem primary

A 27-year law enforcement veteran will file to run against Bernalillo County John Allen in the June 2nd Democratic primary election, City Desk has learned. Phil Snedeker tells City Desk he will file qualifying paperwork and signatures Tuesday morning on local filing day. He has served in the criminal justice system for 47 years, according […]

Who’s behind the city’s public records backlog? Hint: It’s not New Mexicans

Imagine waiting in line for public records at the Office of the City Clerk, only to find most of the requests ahead of you come from out-of-state data scrapers or suspected artificial intelligence bots overseas. Inside the city clerk’s office, that’s the reality. Record requests keep climbing, driven by out-of-state and overseas requests that strain […]