Short Agenda, big decisions: ABQ Council to weigh rentals, Q&A and budget report

The Albuquerque City Council meets at 5 p.m. Mon. with a short agenda that includes final votes on two key ordinances: one affecting short-term rentals and another on how councilors question Mayor Tim Keller’s administration. The meeting also includes a report on first-quarter finances, which shows revenues $5.1 million above projections. The proposed short-term rental […]

Thousands flood Civic Plaza to protest ICE operations

Thousands of immigrant rights activists gathered at Civic Plaza Friday afternoon as part of a coordinated national protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations following recent fatal shootings during federal enforcement actions. The demonstration, which drew roughly 5,000 people by mid-afternoon, was part of the National Shutdown movement that called for participants across the country […]

BernCo pushes $110 million compromise for $35 million PNM vs neighborhood substation fight

Bernalillo County commissioners unanimously delayed a decision Tuesday on a proposed $35 million Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) substation, directing the utility to study burying transmission lines, with cost estimates reaching up to $110 million. The commission voted to continue the case for 120 days and ordered three analyses: the cost of underground […]

Sick of ICE? Skip work, school and shopping for national protest in ABQ

Immigrant rights activists plan to gather at Civic Plaza Friday afternoon as part of a coordinated national protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations following recent fatal shootings during federal enforcement actions. The demonstration, scheduled for 2 p.m., is part of the National Shutdown movement calling for participants across the country to skip work, school […]

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 […]

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. […]

Neighborhoods vs. housing crisis: Council to take another step towards sweeping residential zoning changes

Albuquerque city councilors will take another step this week towards enacting sweeping zoning changes that would allow grocery stores, duplexes and townhouses in single-family neighborhoods and reshape development rules for about 160,000 properties, a move supporters say could ease the housing shortage and critics say threatens long-established neighborhood character. The proposal, part of the city’s 2025 Integrated […]

Here’s how you can shape the search for Albuquerque’s next police chief

Mayor Tim Keller launched a search for Albuquerque’s next police chief Wednesday with an online survey and scheduled community forums, seeking public input before evaluating candidates to lead the more than 950-officer department. The city hired Public Sector Search & Consulting Inc. to conduct the nationwide search. The firm has managed police chief searches in […]

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 […]

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