Albuquerque voters to weigh 11 bond issues on city ballot

Albuquerque voters on Tuesday will be asked to approve or reject 11 general obligation bonds to fund a wide variety of projects, including public safety, affordable housing, museums, libraries, public transportation and street and storm drainage improvements.

The proposed 2025 bonds were prepared by Mayor Tim Keller’s administration and adopted by the City Council. General obligation bonds are secured by the full taxing authority of the city. A detailed list of the bond program is available at the city’s website. The bond questions are:

Public Safety Bonds:

• $12,630,000 to pay for equipment, facilities, vehicles and other public safety improvements, including nearly $3.5 million for new vehicles for police, fire and rescue, and Albuquerque Community Safety.

Senior, Family, Community Center, the Homeless and Community Enhancement Bonds:

• the total $27,380,000 would provide $5 million for homeless facilities and $3.5 million for senior centers.

Parks and Recreation Bonds:

• $33,780,000 for improvements to the city’s parks, swimming pools, tennis courts and other recreational facilities. That includes $5.5 million for an aquatic center at North Domingo Baca Park, $4.9 million for open space land acquisition, $4 million for the Ken Sanchez Indoor Sports Complex, $3.5 million for irrigation projects at city parks, and $1 million for heavy equipment purchases.

Energy and Water Conservation, Public Facilities, and System Modernization Bonds:

• $20,835,500 to improve public buildings, facilities and systems, including $5.4 million for energy conservation and renewable energy projects, $4.8 million for improvements to city facilities, $1 million for fire suppression at city parking structures, $900,000 for railyard rehabilitation, and $862,000 for roof repairs.

Library Bonds:

• $4,450,000 for public libraries, including $3 million for library materials and $1 million for renovations.

Street Bonds:

• $50,858,750 to build and improve city streets and related projects, including $5 million for ongoing improvements to major streets and intersections, $4 million for repaving streets and reconstructing bridges and major intersections, $4 million for improvements to McMahon NW, $3.4 million for improvements to Paseo del Norte and Unser NW, $1.5 million for ADA-compliant sidewalks, $1 million for rights-of-way purchases, $1 million for automated traffic management systems, $1 million for pedestrian safety around Whittier Elementary School and Wilson Middle School, $1 million for pedestrian safety on East Central Avenue, $1 million for improvements to Indian School NE east of Juan Tabo.

Public Transportation Bonds:

• $1,625,750 to acquire property, vehicles and equipment for public transportation facilities, including $876,000 to buy and rehabilitate buses and vans.

Storm Sewer System Bonds:

• $8,950,000 to build and improve the city’s storm sewer system, including $1 million for pump station rehabilitation at the South Broadway storm basin.

Museum and Cultural Facilities Bonds:

• $6,800,000 to build, maintain and improve city-owned museums, performing arts centers and cultural facilities, including $3 million for improvements at the Albuquerque Museum.

Affordable Housing Bonds:

• $10,150,000 to support the Workforce Housing Act to fund construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing for low- to moderate-income working families and seniors.

Metropolitan Redevelopment Bonds:

• $2,540,000 for redevelopment projects and to support private-sector development in Metropolitan Redevelopment Areas throughout the city.