City Council votes down ranked choice voting for city elections
Clerk’s action summary ↗Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗ Meeting details
The short version
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The City Council rejected a plan to switch city elections to ranked choice voting.
The proposal failed 3-6. Councilors Fiebelkorn, Rogers and Telles voted for it; Councilors Baca, Bassan, Champine, Grout, Lewis and Peña voted against it.
What it means for youCity elections keep the voting system now in the city charter.
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Voters will decide two changes to the city charter, including one on who leads Albuquerque Community Safety.
One question would require the director of Albuquerque Community Safety to be appointed and confirmed, with the title "ACS Chief". Both questions passed 7-2, with Councilors Champine and Grout against.
What it means for youVoters get to weigh in at the 2026 general election.
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The City Council set new rules for overhead charges the city takes from construction project money.
The law sets how the overhead rate is figured and requires reporting. It passed 8-1 after several changes, with Councilor Peña against.
What it means for youThe city says the rules add reporting and transparency on how capital project money is spent.
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The City Council adjusted this budget year's operating spending for some funds and programs.
It passed 6-2, with Councilors Peña and Rogers against and Councilor Telles stepping aside from the vote. The record gives no amounts.
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The City Council approved refinancing old city bonds and an economic development deal with Mantis Space Inc.
The refinancing is capped at $38,025,000 and is paid from state-shared gross receipts tax money. Both passed 9-0.
What’s next
- A proposal on how City Council staff prepare reports, plans and drawings comes back April 20.
- A plan to extend deadlines for the city's housing voucher programs comes back April 20, with changes.
- A fence appeal on Wyoming Boulevard NE gets a full hearing before the City Council on April 20.
- The question on the Albuquerque Community Safety chief goes to voters at the 2026 general election.
Everything on the agenda (23 items)
Decided by vote 21
The City Council approved a follow-up recommendation on changing city purchasing rules to speed up affordable and transitional housing projects. The record does not give the details.
For you: People who need affordable or transitional housing, and builders of it.
The City Council approved awarding a contract for violence intervention, therapy and trauma services. The record does not name the provider or the amount.
For you: People affected by violence who use these services.
The City Council confirmed the mayor's pick of Staci Drangmeister for the Albuquerque Museum Board of Trustees.
The City Council confirmed the mayor's pick of Jessica Sapunar-Jursich for the Affordable Housing Committee.
The City Council approved applying to the state Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department for a land and water conservation grant. The record gives no amount or project.
The City Council approved adding money to the city's contract with the law firm Walz and Associates P.C. for outside legal work. The record does not give the amount.
A proposal from Councilor Grout on how the City Council Services Department prepares reports, plans and drawings was put off to April 20.
Councilor Bassan withdrew a plan to sell bonds for community projects, repaid from 50% of a 0.4875% city gross receipts tax.
The City Council added a storm drain improvement project for the Backbone Subdivision to the city's capital plan.
For you: People living near the Backbone Subdivision.
Councilor Bassan withdrew a plan to spend part of a city gross receipts tax on employee pay and repairs to city buildings, streets and parks.
The City Council approved selling up to $38,025,000 in bonds to pay off older city bonds from 2015 and 2016. They are paid back from state-shared gross receipts tax money. A replacement version passed.
The City Council approved support for Mantis Space Inc. to lease and improve a site in Albuquerque for optics research and small-scale satellite part manufacturing. The record does not give the amount of city money.
A property owner appealed a denial of permission to put a 6-foot steel fence in a front yard on Wyoming Blvd NE. The City Council rejected the hearing officer's recommendation and set a full hearing for April 20.
For you: Neighbors on Wyoming Boulevard NE.
New rules on overhead charges the city takes from capital project funds: how the rate is figured, plus reporting. Four changes passed and three failed before the final vote.
For you: Taxpayers who fund city construction projects.
The City Council set criteria in the city's zoning code for awarding the costs of an appeal.
For you: People who file or face zoning appeals.
A plan to adopt ranked choice voting in the city charter and have the city clerk make teaching materials failed. Earlier, the City Council voted 6-3 to let the meeting run as late as midnight.
For you: All city voters.
A plan to extend deadlines for directives on the city's housing voucher programs was changed twice and put off to April 20.
For you: People who use city housing vouchers.
The City Council adjusted this budget year's operating spending for some funds and programs. The record gives no amounts.
Sends voters a charter change requiring the director of Albuquerque Community Safety to be appointed and confirmed, with the title "ACS Chief".
For you: All city voters.
Sends voters a change to Article V, Section 4 of the city charter at the next city election. The record does not say what the change does.
For you: All city voters.
Uses transportation infrastructure tax money to widen the Cutler Avenue Complete Streets project to include San Pedro.
For you: People who drive, bike or walk on Cutler Avenue and San Pedro.
Reports, presentations and discussion 2
The City Council accepted as information the mayor's mid-year update on goals for the budget year ending June 2026.
The City Council accepted as information a quarterly update on age-friendly work.
For you: Older residents.
What the record doesn’t say
- What the Article V, Section 4 charter change sent to voters would do.
- How much city money goes to Mantis Space Inc., and how many jobs, if any, the deal brings.
- Dollar amounts for the outside lawyers contract, the violence intervention award and the mid-year budget changes.
- Who will provide the violence intervention and trauma services.
- What each amendment to the overhead charges rule changed.
- How many people spoke during public comment and what they said.
- Why Councilor Telles stepped aside from the budget vote.
Meeting details
- Meeting
- Regular meeting, 5:00 p.m.–11:30 p.m.
- Where
- Vincent E. Griego Chambers, One Civic Plaza NW, City of Albuquerque Government Center
- Presiding
- City Council President Klarissa J. Peña
- Attendance
- All nine councilors present
- Written from
- From the clerk’s action summary.
Written by AI from the official record and checked by code against it: every dollar figure, vote, number, date and member’s name must appear in the record’s own words, or the summary is held. Not reviewed by a person. Residents are not named. How these are made · All Albuquerque meetings