Bill Tallman Guest Opinion Column: Mayor Keller Administration Diverts $600,000 Appropriation For Downtown Multi-Purpose Arena Study To Soccer Stadium Electric Utility Site Plan; Action Violated Law On Capital Outlay Funding; City Needs Downtown Multipurpose Arena

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Bill Tallman is a former Democratic NM State Senator who served in the New Mexico legislature from January 2017 to January 2025. Former Senator Tallman also served for 35 years as either a city manager, deputy city manager  and county administrator in Ohio, Illinois, New York, Connecticut and New Mexico.

EDITORS DISCLAIMER  Bill Tallman submitted the below guest column to be published on www.PeteDinelli.com. He was not compensated for it. His column is being published as a public service. The opinions expressed in the opinion column are not necessarily those of www.PeteDinelli.com.

Mayor Keller Administration Diverts $600,000 Appropriation For Downtown Multi-Purpose Arena Study To Soccer Stadium Electric Utility Site Plan; Action Violated Law On Capital Outlay Funding; City Needs Downtown Multipurpose Arena

In March 2023, during my tenure as a Senator in the New Mexico Legislature, I earmarked $600,000 in junior bill appropriation  funds to the City of Albuquerque for the explicit purpose of hiring a consultant to study the financing and location of a multi-purpose arena.

Instead of using the above-mentioned funds as appropriated, Mayor Keller directed the $600,000 to the site of the soccer stadium at the Balloon Fiesta grounds in far northern Albuquerque – $556,056 for an electric utility site plan and $43,948 for a traffic study.

Mayor Keller took this action without contacting me to request a change in the use of the appropriated junior bill appropriation  funds. I hypothesize that he didn’t contact me because the City Council advised Mayor Keller that they would not approve any additional funds for the soccer stadium, and the Council and the Mayor all knew I would not approve of the funds being expended on the soccer stadium. 

Over the past 5 years the  ABQ Journal has published 3 op eds in which I have spelled out the need for a downtown multi purpose arena.  I am well aware of what such a facility can do for a downtown, since as the City Manager of Moline, Il. I was an ex officio  member of the Quad Cities Civic Center  Authority which planned and constructed a multi purpose arena in Downtown Moline on land donated by Deere & Co.

 Mayor Keller’s use of the $600,000 in junior bill appropriation  funds  for the soccer stadium is a flagrant violation of the law since the junior bill appropriation funds were not used for their intended purpose. After learning about Mayor Keller’s misappropriation of junior bill appropriation  funds, I initiated legal action in late November 2024. The City of Albuquerque dragged their feet in responding to the IPRA (Inspection of Public Records Act) request during early 2025. As a result, I took additional legal action to cease this delay by the City.

Mayor Keller filed a motion to dismiss the case in late spring; on September 23, 2025, a judge ruled against Mayor Keller, failing to grant the motion to dismiss.

The case number is D-202-CV-2025-00490. The complaint is a mere seven pages, given that it is a very simple, straightforward case.

CITY IN NEED OF  MULTI-PURPOSE ARENA

There is discussion once again to build a multi-purpose arena in Albuquerque. That is the good news; however, the bad news is the proposed location of the NM Fairgrounds is a dreadful location, as outlined below.

To begin, let’s consider the need for a modern arena in ABQ. This facility, which is long overdue, should have been built 2-3 decades ago. Nearly one million people reside within 50-60 miles of downtown ABQ. The ABQ metro is the only metro area with a population of a million or more without a modern multi-purpose arena. The PIT is a single-purpose facility, Tingley Arena is an antiquated “barn” constructed nearly 70 years ago, and the Santa Ana Arena is too small to attract big-name entertainers and is located on a two-lane road 20 miles from the center of population.

I have some experience with arenas; during my tenure as the City Manager of the City of Moline, IL (headquarters of Deere & Co.), I was a board member of the Quad City Civic Center Authority that planned and oversaw the construction of a 12,000-seat arena that became highly successful. A wide variety of events are held in the facility, including minor league ice hockey and basketball as well as exhibitions of John Deere construction and agricultural equipment, attracting folks from around the world. Additionally, as a college basketball fan, I attended NCAA basketball tournament games held in 20 different arenas over the span of 23 years; all were located in downtowns.

The proposed Albuquerque facility, which would be transformational for downtown, belongs in the center of town and not at the Fairgrounds for several reasons:

ACCESSIBILITY: Downtown is a transportation hub, making it easier for folks to access the facility via multiple highways and bus routes. The fairgrounds would require travel over fewer and narrower roads as well as generate more neighborhood noise and traffic.

ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION: The facility would spark redevelopment in an otherwise stagnant downtown. The ABQ Chamber of Commerce states in a recent publication that successful downtowns include “a play environment” that includes shopping, entertainment, and open spaces, pointing out that more activity downtown would help to revitalize downtown. When downtown arenas empty out, the local hotels are full, and restaurants and entertainment venues are bustling. The atmosphere is vibrant and electric. None of this activity will happen at the fairgrounds. Folks will have to climb into their cars to travel to hotels, restaurants, or additional entertainment. Finally, city governments are more likely to fund arenas when they are tied to broader urban development goals.

HIGHER VISIBILITY AND PRESTIGE: A downtown arena would give the downtown a sense of place, importance and become a civic landmark, enhancing the visual and culture identity of the city.

PARKING: There would be no need to construct more parking since most events are scheduled during the evenings and weekends when the existing parking garages are mostly empty.

 YEAR-ROUND ACTIVITY: A multi-purpose arena would host an extensive list of activities and events including but not limited to concerts, conventions and sports. A downtown location ensures constant foot traffic and aligns well with the amenities and energy of downtown areas.

 CONCLUSION

The $600,000 junior bill appropriation funds that were  misappropriated  needs to be clawed back by the state and reapplied as originally mandated in the 2023-24 state budget. Furthermore, The City of Albuquerque should be sanctioned and punitive damages assessed for their misconduct.

The City has a pressing need for a downtown modern multi -purpose arena for all the reasons  described earlier.  There are many compelling reasons why the vast majority of arenas are located in downtowns.

 

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About

Pete Dinelli was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He is of Italian and Hispanic descent. He is a 1970 graduate of Del Norte High School, a 1974 graduate of Eastern New Mexico University with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a 1977 graduate of St. Mary's School of Law, San Antonio, Texas. Pete has a 40 year history of community involvement and service as an elected and appointed official and as a practicing attorney in Albuquerque. Pete and his wife Betty Case Dinelli have been married since 1984 and they have two adult sons, Mark, who is an attorney and George, who is an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Pete has been a licensed New Mexico attorney since 1978. Pete has over 27 years of municipal and state government service. Pete’s service to Albuquerque has been extensive. He has been an elected Albuquerque City Councilor, serving as Vice President. He has served as a Worker’s Compensation Judge with Statewide jurisdiction. Pete has been a prosecutor for 15 years and has served as a Bernalillo County Chief Deputy District Attorney, as an Assistant Attorney General and Assistant District Attorney and as a Deputy City Attorney. For eight years, Pete was employed with the City of Albuquerque both as a Deputy City Attorney and Chief Public Safety Officer overseeing the city departments of police, fire, 911 emergency call center and the emergency operations center. While with the City of Albuquerque Legal Department, Pete served as Director of the Safe City Strike Force and Interim Director of the 911 Emergency Operations Center. Pete’s community involvement includes being a past President of the Albuquerque Kiwanis Club, past President of the Our Lady of Fatima School Board, and Board of Directors of the Albuquerque Museum Foundation.