ABQ Council Approves Capital Budget

Here’s the latest on the capital budget, which underwent a ton of amendments and then amendments that changed the amendments:

• It’s a $115 million package, up slightly from the earlier version of $110. City says it has increased capacity.
• There’s $1.5 million to get started on an economic-development project centering on a partnership with the University of New Mexico. Councilor Brad Winter and Mayor Richard Berry wanted $2 million, but councilors reduced it to provide more money for affordable housing.
• Affordable housing gets $2.5 million, up from the original proposal of $1.75 million.
• Animal shelters get $1.4 million, up from original proposal of $600,000.
• Removed from the program entirely was $3.25 million for river amenities and bosque-trail development. It’ll get funded out of $2.9 million in operating budget, which had money set aside for unspecified capital projects. This is explained in my advance.

In the end, the capital budget was approved 7-2, with Winter and Michael Cook in dissent. Lots of split votes on the amendments.