City Council votes to raise Albuquerque's minimum wage
Clerk’s action summary ↗Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗ Meeting details
The short version
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The City Council passed a higher minimum wage.
The change raises the wage rate and changes how yearly cost-of-living raises are figured. It passed 5-4: Councilors Baca, Fiebelkorn, Peña, Rogers and Telles for; Councilors Bassan, Champine, Grout and Lewis against.
What it means for youWorkers paid the minimum wage in Albuquerque get a raise.
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The City Council passed new rules to enforce living conditions in rental homes.
The rental habitability enforcement law passed 6-3, with Councilors Bassan, Grout and Lewis against. A companion measure setting code enforcement priorities to protect tenants passed 5-4.
What it means for youRenters may see the city focus code enforcement on their housing.
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Voters will be asked about how the public safety tax is spent.
The City Council approved a ballot question for the next city election on updating what the public safety gross receipts tax pays for. It passed 9-0 after changes.
What it means for youCity voters will get a say on how this tax money is dedicated.
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The City Council changed the rules for vacant buildings downtown.
The update to the downtown vacant premises law passed 5-4: Councilors Baca, Fiebelkorn, Peña, Rogers and Telles for; Councilors Bassan, Champine, Grout and Lewis against.
What it means for youOwners of empty buildings downtown face changed rules.
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Several big items were put off to June 15, and landfill fees to Aug. 3.
Put off to June 15: a stormwater utility, a new tax increment finance board, a Pulte Homes improvement district and charter changes on the city attorney and city clerk. Higher landfill fees for people outside city limits were put off to Aug. 3.
What it means for youResidents can still weigh in on these before the City Council acts.
What’s next
- June 15: the stormwater utility, the tax increment finance board, the Savio Ridge improvement district and an outside legal services contract come back.
- June 15: two charter ballot questions on the city attorney and city clerk come back.
- June 15: the plans to review and repeal city boards and commissions come back.
- Aug. 3: the higher landfill and convenience center fees for non-residents come back.
Everything on the agenda (36 items)
Decided by vote 22
A change to add funds to the city's outside legal services contract with Modrall Sperling was put off to June 15. No amount is given.
Changed the city's capital program to add grant money and approve new projects. The record does not list them.
Approved the Mesa del Sol improvement district's sale of up to $14,000,000 in new bonds and up to $6,000,000 in refinancing bonds, repaid by a special charge on property there.
For you: Property owners in the Mesa del Sol district.
A request by Pulte Homes to form an improvement district that would charge a special levy on property there and issue bonds was put off to June 15. The record says the bonds would not be the city's debt.
For you: Future buyers of homes in Savio Ridge.
Passed a law on enforcing living conditions in rental units, after four changes were made.
For you: Renters and landlords.
Set code enforcement priorities to protect people who rent their homes.
For you: Renters.
A plan to create a tax increment finance board and update the powers of the Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency was put off to June 15.
A plan to create a stormwater utility and define desert-adapted green stormwater infrastructure was put off to June 15.
For you: Property owners, depending on what the utility charges; the record gives no fees.
A plan to require regular reviews of whether every city board, commission and committee is still needed was rewritten and put off to June 15. Councilor Lewis was excused.
A plan to repeal laws for boards no longer in use, such as the Balloon Fiesta Park Commission, and create a task force to merge two transit committees was rewritten, changed and put off to June 15.
Changed the downtown vacant premises law. The record does not say what changed.
For you: Owners of empty buildings downtown.
Defined the board's role and tightened transparency, oversight and reporting rules for the public safety tax program.
Sends voters a question at the next city election on updating what the public safety gross receipts tax pays for. A change by Councilor Rogers failed 4-5.
For you: All city voters and taxpayers.
Raises the minimum wage rate and changes how yearly cost-of-living raises are figured. It passed 5-4, was reopened 7-2 late in the night, and a bid by Councilor Lewis to put it off to June 15 failed 3-6. It passed again 5-4 after one more change.
For you: Minimum-wage workers and the businesses that employ them.
A plan to raise convenience center fees for people and businesses outside city limits and require proof of residency at the landfill was changed and put off to Aug. 3. No fee amounts are given.
For you: Anyone who uses the city landfill or convenience centers.
A proposed charter change for the 2026 general election on how the city attorney and city clerk are appointed and removed was put off to June 15.
For you: City voters.
The ballot question and wording for a change to Article V, Section 4 of the city charter was put off to June 15.
For you: City voters.
Creates a Cruisers for Route 66 program along Central Avenue for the Route 66 centennial and community upkeep. A change passed 8-1, with Councilor Baca against.
For you: People who live, work or visit along Central Avenue.
Approved new projects, added money and changed the scope of existing projects in the city's capital program. The record does not list them.
Adjusted spending for certain funds and programs in the 2026 operating budget. Councilor Telles stepped aside from the vote.
Set aside money in the 2026 operating budget for Juneteenth activities. No amount is given.
For you: People attending Juneteenth events.
Moves $140,000 from a rapid rehousing fund to keep 31 households in housing through the Heading Home supportive housing program.
For you: The 31 households in the program.
Passed together without discussion 13
Approved a recommended award for real property right-of-way services. The record gives no vendor or amount.
Approved operating agreements and terminal leases with Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest and United, and cargo leases with FedEx and UPS.
For you: Travelers and shippers using the airport.
Approved a real estate sales agreement for a property on Holly Avenue NE. The record gives no price or buyer.
Approved the city's five-year forecast covering 2026 to 2030.
Confirmed the mayor's picks for the Commission on American Indian and Alaska Native Affairs, the ABQ Volunteers Advisory Board, the Metropolitan Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and a youth advisory group.
Approved giving up city right-of-way on 62nd Street for a Habitat for Humanity development.
For you: Neighbors near 62nd Street and future Habitat homeowners.
Approved applying for Federal Aviation Administration and state transportation grants to design a seal and markings for Taxiway A at Double Eagle II Airport.
Approved applying for federal and state grants to design new lighting for Taxiways B and C at Double Eagle II Airport.
Accepted as information the quarterly bus security report with police, Albuquerque Community Safety and Metro Security data.
For you: Bus riders.
Accepted as information the Early Head Start report for January through March 2026.
For you: Families in Early Head Start.
Approved a legal services agreement with North Star Legal Group, LLC. No amount is given.
Approved project management for City Council-sponsored projects and major capital projects.
Accepted a state Outdoor Recreation Division Trails+ grant for the Department of Municipal Development. No amount is given.
For you: Trail users.
Reports, presentations and discussion 1
Accepted as information the third-quarter update on goals for the budget year 2026. Councilor Champine voted no.
What the record doesn’t say
- The new minimum wage rate, when it starts and what the six changes did.
- What the rental habitability law requires of landlords, and when it takes effect.
- How many people spoke during public comment and what they said.
- The dollar amounts of the airline leases, legal contracts, the Holly Avenue property sale, the trails grant and the Juneteenth funding.
- The proposed landfill fees for non-residents.
- Which election the public safety tax question goes on and its final wording.
Meeting details
- Meeting
- regular, 5:00 p.m.–1:06 a.m.
- Where
- Vincent E. Griego Chambers, One Civic Plaza NW, City of Albuquerque Government Center
- Presiding
- City Council President Klarissa J. Peña
- Attendance
- All 9 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