Latest news with #TimKeller
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Squeezed by inflation, city budget keeps spending steady but trims ambition
Jun. 2—The Albuquerque City Council last month approved a $1.5 billion budget for the next fiscal year, largely accepting Mayor Tim Keller's proposals and continuing his priorities on housing, homelessness and policing. The 6-2 vote followed months of meetings and was one of the final steps to fund the local government for the next 12 months, starting in July. But the budget documents outlined concern about the future and the mayor's introduction letter cites "significant uncertainty, attempting to keep up with rising inflation, economic disruptions, and bracing for federal cuts." "I wish we'd had more to work with," said Councilor Renée Grout, who led the council's budget-building efforts. "I'm hopeful that this year, our revenues will pick up and that we'll have some extra funds, and we'll be able to do a mid-year clean-up and get a better raise for everybody." Revenue — where all the money comes from Albuquerque's economic outlook significantly affects the city's budget. That's because the collection of gross receipt taxes, or GRT, makes up about 40% of the city's total resources and about 70% of the general fund, which finances many of the city's core functions. The budget notes that uncertainty caused by the Trump administration's tariff policies, alongside the possibility of escalating wars in Europe and the Middle East, could affect future revenue, particularly as those things impact the price of oil and global supply chains. It also states that Albuquerque is still feeling the economic aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, the budget said that retail and wholesale trade, an industry that has historically comprised about 25% of the city's GRT, has struggled to grow under pressure from inflation, lingering from the pandemic and reaggravated by the Trump administration's economic policies. This budget also allocates $4.6 million of the historic opioid settlement money to nonprofits, part of a council-approved plan to distribute money to nonprofits that help people recover from addiction. That money comes from a settlement between local governments and pharmaceutical companies, and follows a joint plan established by the city and Bernalillo County. Higher raises for city workers stall One of the final budget flashpoints revolved around pay increases for employees. The mayor's proposed budget called for a 2% increase for all city workers. The council added another 0.5% increase. That raise does not apply to firefighters since their contract was renegotiated last year. Some of the money being used to fund the increases comes from about $1 million in savings after the city was released from the Court Appointed Settlement Agreement and the decade-long oversight of the city's police department. The settlement was reached after a Department of Justice found a pattern of excessive use of force within the police department. But for some on the council, 2.5% wasn't enough. Councilor Klarissa Peña pushed for the council's 0.5% increase to be 1%. "I think 1% across the board is important to our employees and the services that they provide," Peña said. "They're the ones that keep the parks clean, and they're the ones that keep all the other services going." But that money would have to come from somewhere, and some on the council felt it was shaving away at council priorities. Peña's plan called for cuts to after-school programs, employee early retirement and some vacant positions. Ultimately, Peña's efforts failed on a 4-4 tie vote, leading the councilor to vote against the budget. The top-funded departments The approved Albuquerque Police Department budget of about $274 million, about a 2% increase, took the largest portion of the general fund budget. Despite that, police funding was a point of contention. In one of the most high-profile moments of the process, APD Chief Harold Medina verbally sparred with Councilor Louie Sanchez during a presentation on May 8. Sanchez, a former police officer who is running for mayor, said that APD and Keller's administration were inflated. Sanchez reiterated that concern May 19. "We have an over-bloated administration as it is," Sanchez said. "I think if the administration would actually realize and make some cuts where cuts need to be made, I think that these people (city staff) could be funded." Sanchez ultimately voted for the budget, but another councilor who raised concerns about police funding did not. Councilor Dan Lewis criticized the administration for eliminating police officer positions, despite Medina saying he could not fill them this year. APD can have up to 1,100 officers, but the upcoming budget will only pay for 1,000. APD currently has around 900 officers and aims to reach 1,000 by the end of this year, Medina said. "This budget cuts police officers," Lewis said, "and has no vision for hiring any more police officers." The mayor's office defended the move by reiterating Medina's point about staffing. Kevin Sourisseau, the city's chief finance officer, also said the council has told the administration they don't like seeing money for vacant jobs sit around undisbursed. Other top-funded departments and initiatives include Albuquerque Fire Rescue, which was budgeted for $128.6 million. General obligation bond debt service, which pays back bonds for capital projects, was budgeted for $97.4 million. The Municipal Development Department, which oversees public works projects, was budgeted for $50.6 million
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Albuquerque to spend $4.5M in opioid settlement funds on addiction recovery projects
Jun. 1—Members of the Albuquerque City Council and the mayor's office came together Wednesday to mark the signing of legislation that allocates portions of the historic opioid settlement — one of the largest in history to be doled out to local governments. Mayor Tim Keller signed legislation that enables $4.5 million from opioid settlement money to fund three Gateway Center projects, all meant to alleviate drug use and homelessness in Albuquerque. "People who need treatment and addiction help, the most in need, will now have a home and we'll actually be able to open this very shortly," Keller said while at the soon-to-be-opened Medical Sobering Center. According to the legislation, this money goes to three projects. The largest allocation, $2.25 million, was designated for the Medical Sobering Center, which will provide space for up to 50 individuals to recover from severe intoxication and is set to open in later this summer. Another $1.4 million was allocated to the First Responder Receiving Area, a facility where police and other first responders can transport individuals in need of drug and mental health services outside regular hours. Lastly, $950,000 is allocated to Gateway Recovery, a city-owned community of 46 tiny homes where individuals recovering from addiction can reside and receive treatment for a year. In all, Albuquerque is set to receive about $80 million over the next 18 years. That money must be used to remediate the effects of the opioid epidemic, per the settlement agreement. All the money stems from a settlement after local governments across the country sued pharmaceutical companies for overprescribing opioids. The resulting settlement, which followed hundreds of deaths in New Mexico, led to a windfall of funding for local governments. More recently, rates of fatal overdoses have decreased two years in a row since 2021, when the number of deaths peaked at 1,029 deaths, according to data compiled by the New Mexico Department of Health. The same data set also said that fentanyl was involved in 65% of overdose deaths in 2023, the year with the most recent available data. "We created a world of people that were addicted to opiates," said Jennifer Burke, executive director of Serenity Mesa Recovery Center. "And when they couldn't get their opiates anymore, fentanyl was there waiting for them." However, decisions about how to allocate the money led to a split between some council members and the mayor's office. The mayor's office sought additional funding for Gateway services, while the council proposed distributing the funds to nonprofits that support individuals experiencing addiction. The council's plan followed dozens of meetings between councilors and Bernalillo County commissioners. "It was a period of about two years to go through this process of getting community input, finding out how those funds should be used according to the community — which is what they were for — and then coming up with a plan," Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn said. That same plan also allocated funds for the mayor's office, which the council later allocated toward the three projects celebrated on Wednesday. However, despite the reconciliation and the bill signing, councilors and the mayor sought to convey a message that the work was not over. "We are at the precipice," Councilor Nichole Rogers said. "We are right there, and things like this (Medical Sobering Center) coming online are just going to help us really meet people where they are and connect them to the help so that they can get to self-sufficiency."
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Seventh ‘problem hotel' in seven months shut down in Albuquerque
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The City of Albuquerque has shut down the seventh problem hotel in the last seven months, and the city said it's the biggest one yet. Story continues below Crime: Albuquerque business owner faces murder charge for shooting fleeing shoplifter News: Las Vegas deputy charged with aggravated battery and robbery Business: A downtown Albuquerque shoe shine parlor is still serving patrons after nearly a century Events: What's happening around New Mexico May 30-June 5? Kirtland Air Fiesta and more When you walk into the court inside the Barcelona Suites near Lomas Blvd. and Louisiana Blvd., you find a well-kept space that used to host large events like proms and graduations. But city officials said the individual rooms in the hotel tell a completely different story. And they claim the owners were being deceptive. 'This place was drug-infested and crime ridden and full of all the problems that we see in Albuquerque, and it was all for this neighborhood being run out of this hotel,' said Mayor Tim Keller. Code enforcement found violations in nearly all 163 rooms at the hotel. They found various plumbing issues, electrical hazards, fire code violations, and unsanitary conditions, like mold, infestations of bed bugs, cockroaches, and pigeons. In the past year, APD responded to 151 calls for service and made nine arrests at the hotel. 'Just to give you an example, we've had three shootings resulting in injuries in the last year. One took place right outside the back of the hotel. Individuals were seen doing drug transactions at the back window. There was some sort of dispute, one individual was seen running east in the neighborhood, at which point another individual chased him down and shot him,' said Southeast Area Commander Josh Richards, Albuquerque Police Department. The units were being improperly used for long-term stays, with some tenants staying several years. The tenants of the Barcelona Suites were being charged rates ranging from $280 to $1,025 per month, and in some cases, both cash and the city's housing vouchers. The mayor said 68 people living in the hotel were rehoused by Albuquerque Community Safety. The city said the property owners are currently out of state, but they face a strict timeline to get the building back up to code. Two pets were voluntarily surrendered by their owners. Three others were taken into protective custody until the owners can secure appropriate housing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Barcelona Suites closed by city, 68 residents forced to relocate
May 30—Barcelona Suites hotel has hosted countless proms and visitors to the nearby fairgrounds over its decades in Northeast Albuquerque. But for the last four years, it's been 76-year-old Virginia Harkes' home for about $700 per month. That ended Friday when city officials kicked everyone out and shut down the hotel. "I'm here all by myself," Harkes told the Journal as her family packed away her things and moved them into a rented truck. "My kids are all working. I have no ride. I need to pack. I got stuff, but I wouldn't know which way to go." Harkes was one of 68 long-term residents swept up in the city's latest closure of hotels deemed problematic. At a news conference, Mayor Tim Keller said the once-esteemed establishment had become "drug-infested and crime-ridden and full of all the problems that we see in Albuquerque." The Barcelona Suites, in the 900 block of Louisiana NE, just north of Lomas, is the seventh lodging establishment shut down by the city as part of the crackdown. Keller hosted a news conference Friday in the sweltering lobby of the hotel. There was no air conditioning, officials said, because the system was clogged with pigeon carcasses. Keller ticked off a list of some of the conditions: "Toilets don't flush, overflowing with waste. Waste in bathrooms, bedbugs, fentanyl everywhere, stolen goods stored in rooms throughout this facility. "That's what this place was. It was a nest for the worst of the worst in Albuquerque." For residents like Harkes, a notice of closure came approximately 24 hours before they had to vacate. The city stated that officials had been working with the properties' Texas-based owners since April 2021. They made almost no progress, Keller said, adding that it appeared ownership sought to keep the facade of a respectable business while problems festered within. "The facade on Louisiana looks pretty good. It looks like it's the same as it always has been; that could not be more opposite than what was happening inside this place," Keller said. Jeremy Keiser, deputy director of the city's Planning Department, said the decision to force people out stemmed from a review of the building's condition. He said the parking garage below the building had concrete pillars with significant damage. He added that many of the 163 rooms had issues with sewage, electricity and heating. Albuquerque Police Department Commander Josh Richards, who leads the Southeast Area Command, said Barcelona Suites was the site of many arrests as well. "We've had three shootings with injuries in the last year," Richards said. "One took place right outside the back of the hotel." Over the last year, the city reported 151 calls for service at Barcelona Suites, including 10 incidents involving assault or battery, 30 disturbances, 29 suspicious persons or vehicles, 10 family disputes and nine arrests. But not everyone or everything at the hotel was tied to criminal activity. The 68 residents in long-term living situations were spread across 41 households, said Jodie Esquibel, director of the Albuquerque Community Safety department. The city supplied vouchers to 30 of the households. The rest were able to lean on family or had other means of housing, Esquibel said. Harkes was one of the recipients of a voucher. She was planning to stay at a nearby hotel for a week. Harkes' daughter, Jeannie Delaware, said the biggest problem with her mother's eviction was what might come next. "She liked the rent," Delaware said. "It was to where she can afford it. But now, it's going to be like $1,000. And for what?"
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
ABQ Sunport adds two new nonstop flights during Balloon Fiesta
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) — Two new, nonstop flights will be available through Delta at ABQ Sunport during this year's Balloon Fiesta. The flights include Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) through Oct. 4 to 12. A fourth Atlanta flight and JFK service returns are also being added. Story continues below Crime: Albuquerque business owner faces murder charge for shooting fleeing shoplifter News: Las Vegas deputy charged with aggravated battery and robbery Business: A downtown Albuquerque shoe shine parlor is still serving patrons after nearly a century Events: What's happening around New Mexico May 30-June 5? Kirtland Air Fiesta and more Balloon Fiesta is the second-busiest period for the Sunport following the holiday season. It draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. 'We are pleased to see Delta bringing guests from the Motor City and Jet City straight to the heart of Balloon Fiesta,' said Aviation Department Business Development Manager Dan Jiron. 'These flights reflect growing demand for one of the most visually stunning events in the world—and we look forward to welcoming travelers from these new destinations.' Mayor Tim Keller says the city is grateful that Delta's new flights will make it easier for people to join the celebration. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
