The City Council District 6 runoff race between the two top vote getters of Progressive Democrat Jeff Hoehn and Progressive Democrat Nichole Rogers is scheduled for December 12. District 6 includes Nob Hill, the International District, and other neighborhoods and is currently represented by Progressive Democrat City Councilor Pat Davis who did not seek a third term.
Based upon how the candidates have presented themselves, have conducted their campaigns and what has been revealed about them during the runoff, Progressive Democrat Jeff Hoehn is the clear candidate that voters in District 6 should vote to represent them in District 6 as their city councilor.
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRAT JEFF HOEHN
Progressive Democrat Jeff Hoehn has a Master of Public Administration from the University of New Mexico, he is married to Charlotte Itoh and the couple have one child. He has lived in the district 21 years. He is the executive director of Cuidando Los Niños, a shelter and school for homeless children. He has identified crime and homelessness as his top concerns for District 6.
Hoehn’s approach to the homeless would differ significantly from Mayor Keller’s large shelters at the Gateway Center and Westside Emergency Housing Center. To combat homelessness and the housing crisis in the city, he would fund smaller, population-specific shelters that are attractive and safe for those who want help. He agrees that the Albuquerque Community Safety Department should be a proactive force that is on the streets every day, all day actively encountering individuals who are homeless so that they accept help or choose to relocate.
Hoehn advocates short-term mobile APD command units in high crime areas. He advocates for a dedicated team of police officers that can embed with the community, build trust and make the area unfriendly to criminal activity. His crime proposals lean heavily on police and policing technology to get that done. Hoehn told the League of Woman Voters this:
“I advocate instituting short-term APD mobile command units in high crime areas. … We must be strategic so that officers can spend their time preventing and addressing crime. Technology such as speed cameras has a role to play also.”
GUEST OPINION COLUMN BY CANDIDATE JEFF HOEHN
City Council candidate Jeff Hoehn submitted the following guest column published on www.PeteDinelli.com on September 11:
“We all love Albuquerque. We are all choosing to live here.
I am Jeff Hoehn, and I am running for City Council for District 6. I have lived in District 6 for over 20 years. I am Executive Director of Cuidando Los Niños, a nonprofit working to end homelessness, and I am President of the Nob Hill Neighborhood Association Board of Directors. My commitment to Albuquerque and to District 6 are proven in my work and volunteering.
District 6 is a large and diverse district stretching from Eubank to the east, I-25 to the west, Lomas to the north and Gibson to the south as well as Mesa del Sol. It holds so much potential, yet it bears a significant share of the problems that are holding our city back. The time for effective and genuine progressive leadership is now, for District 6 and for Albuquerque.
We find ourselves at a crossroads with respect to the future of our city. Albuquerque has so much opportunity and promise, but it is not being realized. More than five years ago, we entrusted the future of our city to our Mayor, Tim Keller. We trusted him to lead, and to make a real difference on major issues including homelessness and crime. This is why we elected him.
The Mayor has had more than enough time to effect the change that we all voted for. I do agree with many of the mayor’s policies, and I too am a Democrat. But I am independent of the party line, and I am independent of the Mayor. I hold deeply to the values of the Democratic party but question the strategies this administration has developed. A City Councilor must put people first, offering practical and realistic approaches that are achievable rather than seeking political gain.
Now that Pat Davis has decided not to run for another term, we have a unique opportunity to vote for leadership and to effect change. My love for this city has motivated me to run for office for the first time. My background, experience and leadership qualities set me apart from every other candidate in this race.
The son of a union construction worker, I worked my way through college as a student at UNM. I worked in kitchens to support myself, working my way up from dishwasher to prep cook, line cook and then kitchen manager and chef. Inspired to a career change after starting a family with my wife Charlotte, I once again worked my way through school, working full time at a nonprofit, while earning a Master of Public Administration. This degree has given me a broad base of knowledge about public policy, leadership, budgeting and much more.
I have put these skills to work for the betterment of our community, first as Executive Director of the Carrie Tingley Hospital Foundation, and for the past five years, as Executive Director of Cuidando los Niños. Cuidando is a pillar of our community of which we can all be proud. It is a five star preschool and day shelter for families experiencing homelessness.
For the past five years, I have seen the struggle and heartbreak these families endure, living on the edge of homelessness. But I have also seen the way that compassionate assistance and support can change lives. Cuidando now has a diversity of programs and assistance available to the families it serves, from housing assistance to a food program to transportation for the kids.
In fact, Cuidando has grown exponentially under my leadership. The budget has gone from $800,000 to $3,750,000 per year. We have grown the number of staff from 16 to almost 40, and increased pay and benefits for all employees. The number of homeless families served went from 40 a year to 225 a year. That is real community impact. This is all to say that I have the needed experience and leadership, and I am prepared for this job on day one.
Having thought about these issues for many years, I have policy positions that I intend to build coalitions around with residents and the City Council.
With respect to homelessness, the Mayor’s legacy is an enormous homeless shelter the neighborhood did not want and that many people experiencing homelessness will not use. As we all know, it has been hugely expensive. It cost $15 million to acquire the site, and another $7 million has been spent getting it up and running. Yet it is not up and running even now. And the ambitions for its scope have been dramatically scaled back, the Mayor having announced that it will serve just 50 women when it opens. In yet another example of the City’s haplessness, we are facing a fine of more than three-quarters of a million dollars for the asbestos debacle. I know that we can do better.
I believe that smaller, population-specific homeless shelters will be much more appealing to those experiencing homelessness. These can offer targeted wraparound services to their populations, and they will place a much lighter burden, if any on neighborhoods. We need to have compassion alongside pragmatism guiding our homelessness policy. We need to put real solutions before politics.
The mayor’s strategy on homelessness seems to stop at housing. Yet more housing alone will not solve homelessness. Our focus must be on preventing homelessness before it begins. For example, a robust eviction prevention program that helps pay rent or a bill will prevent people from becoming homeless for very low cost. The city should also consider compassionate, safe environments for those who choose to sleep outdoors. A successful example of this exists in Las Cruces. We simply can’t be afraid to do what is right, and what has been proven to work elsewhere.
With respect to crime, we must interrupt the cycles of crime and place much more focus on mental health and addiction treatment. We need to target the underlying drivers of crime. As a social scientist by training, I know that this can make an appreciable difference. We also need a functional justice system, and I applaud District Attorney Sam Bregman’s efforts to increase prosecutions and more importantly the efficiency and effectiveness of prosecutions.
It is true that the city needs far more police officers. But we need well trained, dedicated officers who will engage in constitutional policing. We need to get out from under the DOJ consent decree but do so with integrity. Real culture change in APD is still needed. While rebuilding the culture to attract police officers, we must be strategic so that officers are maximizing their time spent preventing and addressing crime.
For example, I advocate short-term mobile APD command units in high crime areas. A dedicated team of officers can embed with the community, build trust and make the area unfriendly to criminal activity. I also know that ‘curb and gutter’ improvements in underserved areas of the city – such things as getting street lights working, building parks, adding trees and making sure basic city services are functioning – can have an impact on both crime and economic development. Everyone in our city deserves a clean and safe neighborhood.
We must demand economic development in the International District. This area has been ignored for too long by politician after politician. As City Councilor I will ask every other Councilor to spend time with me in the International District. Then, I will work with City Council on developing a comprehensive plan for the International District that is informed by residents and business owners and not by policy makers from above.
It’s time to put people above politics. This is why I am the change we need on the City Council. Elect a proven leader in November. We can do better. Vote Jeff for District 6.
Visit jeff4d6.com to learn more about me and my specific policy proposals.”
PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRATE NICHOLE ROGERS PROVEN NOT FIT TO BE CITY COUNCILOR
There are four major areas that voters in District 6 need to be concerned about Progressive Democrat Nichole Rogers. All 4 areas surfaced during the run off. Those 4 areas all taken together establish that Nichole Rogers is simply not fit to be a city councilor.
WELSTAND FOUNDATION
Welstand Foundation is a one-person organization that was started by Nichole Rogers in 2019 and whose federal tax exempt status was revoked in 2022. Nichole Rogers failed to file required documents with the Internal Revenue Service, the New Mexico Attorney General and the New Mexico Secretary of State regarding her nonprofit Westland Foundation that she created and now manages. Rogers continued to fund raise while her nonprofit was not in “good standing” with the state and the corporation had lost its federal status as a 501 C 3 charitable organization. It was also reported that she failed to report income and account for monies she raised, including $15,000 in city funding she secured for her foundation and how the funding was spent. How much money the nonprofit received and where it went since its inception is impossible to know based on the non-existent tax filings.
The link to the Albuquerque Journal article is here:
HISTORY OF CIVIL LITIGATION AND MISDEAMEANOR CHARGES
An extensive review of public records and court dockets revealed a disturbing history of civil litigation over debts and money due, failure to pay rent, evictions and property liens. The total amount of judgments for debts and property liens filed were at least $25,726.47. It was also revealed misdemeanor traffic offense convictions by Nicole L. Rogers with times when bench warrants were issued for her arrest for failures to appear. She did not disclose to the Albuquerque Journal her misdemeanor convictions in its candidate questionnaire.
A review of court dockets was conducted to determine the extent of litigation Nichole Rogers has been involved with over the years. A listing of 7 specific civil court and 4 metro court misdemeanor cases was compiled which are believed to be cases Rogers has been named the defendant. When confronted with the cases, Rogers declined to admit or deny if the cases were in fact her as a named defendant. She said NO in her Albuquerque Journal candidate questionnaire if she had ever been convicted of a misdemeanor which is false.
The links to look up the New Mexico court cases Nichole L. Rogers has been involved are as follows:
https://caselookup.nmcourts.gov/
“Search NM”: https://researchnm.tylerhost.net/CourtRecordsSearch/Home#!/home
RESIDENCY CHALLENGED
Confidential sources are alleging that Nichole Rogers has not lived in District 6 for the 6 years she has claimed and as she told the Albuquerque Journal in its candidate questionnaire. She has said at forums she has lived in the district for 6 years which is false and has raised her two children at the address she claims to be her home. The home in District 6 is a rental she owns and has rented to others as she lived with her children. It has been determined she has lived on the Westside in an apartment with others and is now using a District 6 residence that she owns but has rented to others in order to run for city council.
ROGER’S IS MAYOR TIM KELLER’S DESIGNATED CANDIDATE
Confidential sources have confirmed that Mayor Tim Keller was involved with Nichole Rogers candidacy from the get go. Jeff Hoehn was told in no uncertain terms by Mayor Keller’s political confidant and campaign manager Neri Holguin he should not run, he was told he could not win and that the Mayor would not support him and that the Mayor wanted another person. Members of Keller administration took and active roll in helping Nichole Rogers to secure nominating signatures to get her on the ballot and collecting $5.00 qualifying donations to secure $40,000 in public financing. Rogers herself has told progressive democrats that she is the Mayor’s candidate to replace City Councilor Pat Davis.
Mayor Keller’s political advisor, campaign manager and handler Neri Holguin inserted herself into the City Council District 6 run off race between Progressive Democrats Nichole Rogers and Jeff Hoehn with a political hit piece against District 6 City Council Candidate Jeff Hoehn. On December 5 a “politcal hit piece” mailer was sent to all District 6 registered voters. The flyer was from Real New Mexico Leadership, the measured finance committee supporting Nichole Rogers and that Neri Holguin solicited $12,000 in donations to produce and distribute.
The politcal hit piece says in part “Jeff Hoehns biggest backer has the kind of record we don’t need in Albuquerque. … With friends like these, we can’t count on Jeff Hoehn to stand with us.” The politcal hit piece then goes on to make the inflammatory accusations of “Sexual harassment reports by multiple woman”, “Discrimination against people of Color trying to buy homes”, “Paid $1.8 Billion jury veredict for inflating the price of home sales commissions.” The politcal hit piece uses a unflattering photo of Jeff Hoehn positioned next to the accusations ostensibly to imply that Hoehn condoned the conduct or was guilty of the same conduct. The very, very fine print that strains they eye to read at the bottom offers as a Fact Checker and identifies the National Association of Realtors who was accused of the conduct. The measured finance committee, or Political Action Committee, “Help ABQ and National Association of Realtors” is the real subject of the hit piece. Looking at the hit piece at a glance you would think it was Jeff Hoehn who was accused of sexual harassment and discrimination.
Progressive Democrat Nichole Rogers has never denounced the flyer nor distance herself from the Real New Mexico Leadership measured finance committee thereby giving her tacit approval of the hit piece and reflects she will do anything to win an election.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
The city is facing any number of problems that are bringing it to its knees. Those problems include exceptionally high violent crime and murder rates, the city’s increasing homeless numbers, lack of mental health care programs and little to no economic development. It is City Council District 6 that has suffered the brunt of all the city’s ills with the highest violent crime and property crime rates, increased homelessness and the highest poverty rates in the city with no economic development, all issues Jeff Hoehn knows about, has dealt with and knows what to do about.
The city and District 6 cannot afford any longer city councilors who makes promises and who offers only eternal hope for better times that result in broken campaign promises. What is needed are city elected officials who actually know what they are doing, who will make the hard decisions without an eye on their next election, not make decisions only to placate their base and please only those who voted for them or the Mayor.
District 6 is entitled to a City Councilor who is ethical, who is above reproach, who knows how to manage finances both privately and in their private business dealings, who actually knows the problems of the district by actually living in the district for more than a few years.
Elect Jeff Hoehn City Councilor in District 6 on December 12.