BREAKING: Council Adopts ABQ Budget on 7-2 Vote

Mayor Richard Berry’s push to plow more city money into capital projects rather than basic operating expenses survived — for the most part — several challenges from city councilors late Monday.

The council ultimately voted 7-2 in favor of a $475 million general-fund budget that supports two of the mayor’s top priorities — reserving $2.9 million in cash financing for capital projects that haven’t been selected yet and setting aside $3 million to pay off bonds for improving the Paseo del Norte interchange.

Berry had sought $3 million for the unspecified capital projects, but councilors reduced it by $100,000 to help fund professional development for firefighters, at the request of Councilor Isaac Benton.

Benton and other council Democrats took aim at the $3 million in other amendments, too, but they were generally rejected on a 5-4 vote along party lines, with Republicans in the majority. Benton and Garduño, for example, unsuccessfully pushed to use some of the money to boost bus-driver pay and increase staffing for parks, animal welfare and libraries.

But council Republican councilors held firm. They pointed out that the city, over the last decade, had repeatedly taken money from the capital budget and used it instead to prop up basic operations. It’s time, they said, to reserve that trend.

“I think the priority of this administration is to move that back — to do some infrastructure work and not to grow government,” said Councilor Brad Winter, a Republican.

Dan Lewis, also a Republican and the chairman of the council’s budget committee, said the council worked hard to craft a budget that could win broad support.

“Ultimately, the budget reflects the needs of all nine City Council districts,” Lewis said.

Voting “no” were Ken Sanchez and Garduño, both Democrats. Sanchez said it didn’t make sense to spend more constructing capital projects if there won’t be enough employees to staff them.

“We are in very, very difficult times,” Sanchez said.

Berry praised the council’s decision.

“A balanced and well-crafted budget is one of the top priorities for any administration, and I am very pleased that for the third year in a row we received council support,” Berry said in a written statement. “It is fulfilling for me as a mayor to earn bipartisan support for a budget that provides a high level of service to our community while providing great value for taxpayers.”

He thanked Lewis and the other six councilors who voted “yes.”

As part of the budget, the city will set aside about $3 million in funding that can be used to make the annual debt payments on up to $50 million in bonds for improving the Paseo and Interstate 25 interchange. Councilors voted without opposition Monday to put those bonds before voters on the Nov. 6 ballot.

Berry also wanted to reserve $3 million for unspecified capital projects. Possibilities include a bicycle loop, recreational areas in the bosque or acquiring land needed for the Paseo rebuild.

Councilors reduced it to $2.9 million. They voted 7-2 to provide $100,000 to the Fire Department to help firefighters attend promotional training while on duty. The money will pay to hire firefighters to cover the shifts of those attending training.

Voting “no” were Trudy Jones and Michael Cook, both Republicans.

The budget provides enough funding for 1 percent raises to employees making less than $50,000 a year, pending union negotiations. That was part of Berry’s original proposal.

The budget, which is for the fiscal year starting July 1, also received help from an unexpected source: $1.1 million in leftover cash from the Police Department’s evidence room. The money sat unclaimed for about 10 years, and attorneys determined it could be used in the budget.