On April 1, 2026 the Mayor Tim Keller Administration released the proposed city operating budget for fiscal 2027.  The budget will now be submitted  to the Albuquerque City Council for final review and approval by June 30. The fiscal year begins July 1, 2026 and ends June 30, 2026.

The link to review the entire FY 27 proposed budget is here:

Click to access fy27-proposed-budget-with-weblink-final-4-01-2026.pdf

TRANSMITTAL MEMO

The April 1, 2026 transmittal memo of the FY27 proposed budget from Mayor Tim Keller to Albuquerque City Council Klarissa Pena states in part as follows:

“The FY27 budget proposal comes as cities across the country are facing increasing pressure from inflation, rising service and healthcare costs, growing demand for services, and uncertainty in federal funding. Albuquerque is no exception. Revenues are tightening while costs continue to rise, requiring the City to make choices about how it  will allocate resources.  

Albuquerque continues to see relatively flat population growth and tax revenue when adjusted for inflation. … City revenues are also under pressure nationally, with economic uncertainty and low consumer confidence resulting in reduced spending.

 [The Mayor Keller] administration  directed city departments to eliminate inefficiencies, identify operational efficiencies, reduce non-essential spending and overhead, and to  focus on mission-critical services.

The proposed FY27 budget  protects core services while preparing for potential economic and federal funding challenge. Departments deactivated 247 redundant or non-critical positions, including eight command staff positions at the Albuquerque Police Department. [ A city  spokesperson said only a handful of eliminated positions were occupied, and they are working on transitioning those employees into comparable roles The result is the  FY27 budget  is $35 million lower than last year’s $1.5 billion budget.”

BUDGET DETAILS

The proposed $1.47 billion budget continues investments in public safety, programs to address homelessness, small business and community development, with  initiatives that benefit working families. Even though budget cuts were made, it makes targeted investments in public safety, homelessness and behavioral health services, housing, and the workforce needed to deliver reliable City services. These investments include $16.4 million in compensation increases, subject to applicable union negotiations, that ensure the City remains competitive in recruiting and retaining employees. The budget also includes $8 million in flexible, unallocated funding to support City Council priorities.

PUBLIC SAFETY DEPARTMENTS

Public safety remains the City’s top priority, and the FY27  budget directs more resources to frontline response in the 3 departments of public safety as follows:

Albuquerque Police Department (APD)

The proposed APD  budget will  increase a modest 2% in the 2027 fiscal year to about $278.2 million and comprise nearly 32% of the city’s general fund appropriations. The APD proposed budget calls for $3.8 million to support staff raises, subject to police union negotiations. APD cut eight command staff and 52 civilian positions for a total savings of $5.9 million and doubled the number of funded positions for police service aides from 50 to 100. The budget calls for 1,100 sworn officer positions. In November, APD had 901 sworn officers.

APD resources are being shifted from administrative command structures into field operations. The department identified redundant or non-critical positions and  reduced command staff by 8 positions generating savings that have been reinvested to fund 100 Police Service Aides, allowing sworn officers to focus on core law enforcement duties. APD also continues recruitment and retention efforts toward a goal of 1,100 sworn officer positions and is transitioning 43 existing sworn personnel into field operations.

It was on January 9, that APD Chief Cecily Barker announced a reorganization of the APD. The reorganization includes new executive appointments and the elimination of 12 command staff positions. The 12 command staff positions are being eliminated are a combination of sworn personnel, such as  Deputy Commanders for both Internal Affairs division, and professional employees, such as the Director of Analytics and positions that are vacant.

Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR)

The  Albuquerque Fire Rescue proposed budget includes $4.4 million for a negotiated wage increase for firefighters. Overtime appropriations were increased by $409,000. AFR staffing is expected to remain essentially unchanged at 828 full-time positions. The AFR proposed  FY27 budget  will prioritize field response by realigning staffing and reducing reliance on overtime, including integrating support personnel into regular field operations to strengthen coverage city-wide while containing costs. AFR will also see its highest pay increases in city history.

Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS)

Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS)  will  receive a 10.5% budget increase to $19.8 million in 2027, including $261,000 for raises. The budget increase is intended to increase field response and street outreach. ACS personnel have backgrounds as social workers, clinicians and counselors and respond to 911 calls reporting people suffering from addiction, homelessness and mental health emergencies. The proposed budget would fund 156 full-time positions, up from 142 currently. The ACS department will have a $2 million investment to expand field response and double the size of its Street Outreach Team, freeing up APD officers and strengthening the City’s ability to respond to behavioral health calls and homelessness with specialized, civilian-led interventions. $500,000 would be reallocated for motel vouchers.

HOMELESSNESS, HOUSING, AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

The FY27 budget continues to build a coordinated system of care designed to move individuals from crisis to stability through outreach, shelter, treatment, and housing. The coordinated system is know as the Gateway system.

The proposed FY27  budget would increase funding by 9.5% to $48.9 million for the city’s Health, Housing and Homelessness Department, and fully funds the Gateway System of Care, a cluster of city services for homeless people. The proposed FY27 budget includes $8 million for affordable housing vouchers. It calls for 98 full-time positions, of which 78 are paid from the city’s general fund. Another 20 personnel would be paid by grant funding.

The Gateway System is fully funded under the  FY27 budget to ensure operational stability as services continue to come online, supporting shelter, treatment, and housing pathways for those most in need. Expanded outreach through ACS will strengthen connections into this system and improve coordination across services.

The Gateway System of support for people struggling with homelessness and drug and substance addiction consists of the following:

1. Gateway Center– (Located on Gibson.) Campus providing medical, behavioral, and social services including overnight beds, first responder intake, medical sobering and respite. Old Lovelace Hospital city purchased for $15 million costing $95 million to remodel into shelter and supposedly providing  assistance to upwards of 1,000 unhoused per month.
2. Gateway West – Safe, supportive 660-bed facility for individuals experiencing homelessness, offering specialized resources and case management. (Annual Impact: 5,700 Individuals. Open 24/7 Since 2019)
3. Gateway Family – Supportive housing center for families with overnight beds, meals, and case management to help achieve stable housing. (Annual Impact: 987 Individuals Open Since 2020.
4. Gateway Recovery– 50-resident micro-community offering low-barrier beds, recovery services, and support for 18 – 24 months. Annual projected Impact: 50 – 100.
5. Gateway Young Adult – Housing and support for young adults ages 15-25 experiencing homelessness, tailored to their unique needs. Annual projected Impact: 120 Individuals. On March 25, the city opened the $17 million transitional housing facility for homeless youth

https://www.cabq.gov/health-housing-homelessness/gateway-system-of-care

The Health, Housing and Homelessness Department budget also includes targeted investments, like $500,000 in reallocated funding to support motel vouchers through expanded outreach efforts, providing immediate, flexible shelter options in partnership with Albuquerque Community Safety Department (ACS).

NEW DIVERSION INITIATIVE

$400,000 is included in the FY 27 budget proposal for a new diversion initiative, led by the City Attorney’s Office, designed to address the cycle of low-level, non-violent offenses that often result in brief and ineffective periods of detention without treatment or long-term resolution. Under this diversion program, eligible individuals will be assessed by a social worker or case manager at the point of prosecution and offered structured diversion options, including shelter intake, case management, substance use or mental health treatment, or other supportive services.

This approach shifts the City’s response from a system that cycles individuals through arrest and release to one that uses legal intervention as a pathway into services, while maintaining accountability for participation.  By aligning enforcement with treatment and housing resources, the program is designed to reduce recidivism, decrease strain on the courts and detention system, and improve outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness and behavioral health challenges.

PROTECTING QUALITY OF LIFE SERVICES

Departments including Parks and Recreation, Arts and Culture, and Senior Affairs are focusing on core programming while improving procurement, inventory management, and operations to reduce waste and improve long-term sustainability.

The Youth and Family Services Department  is expanding teen programming by $500,000 and increasing compensation for part-time frontline staff by $800,000, while reorganizing early childhood programs to better align with the states free childcare framework.  This approach will allow the  City to extend services, strengthen partnerships, and increase community reach without duplicating resources.

To ensure fairness and fiscal responsibility, several departments will implement non-resident surcharges so that services used by non-residents more accurately reflect their true cost, protecting our taxpayer funded resources.

DRIVING EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

A central component of the proposed  FY27 budget is restructuring how the City operates so it  can reduce costs while also improving the services it provides to Albuquerque residents. Departments have been instructed to  consolidate administrative functions, reduce  reliance on outside contracts, and to  expand in-house capabilities where it improves efficiency.  Examples are   the Department of Municipal Development will be increasing internal capacity for specialized work, and the Legal Department is reducing outside counsel costs through expanded in-house services.

Under the proposed FY27 budget, the City continues to support long-term economic growth. The Economic Development Department and Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency are leveraging redevelopment tools and partnerships to support local businesses and attract investment. The Aviation Department is advancing key assets, including the rail spur and Double Eagle II, as drivers of economic opportunity and improved connectivity.

JOB CUTS VACANT POSITIONS WILL NOT LEAD TO LAYOFFS

The proposed FY27 budget eliminates 247 jobs, including eight command staff positions inside APD, but out of the  job count of 247 positions eliminated, all but two of the 247 are vacant.

Carla Martinez, Chief Financial Officer for the City of Albuquerque, explained it this way:

“The approach that we took is, each of the departments had to find places in which they could find cost savings. Whether it was eliminating vacant positions that they didn’t really need, if it was other in some instances, it was bringing personnel in-house so we had less dependency on contractors. … That was an intentional goal of the mayor and administration …  that when we were making these cost-cutting efforts that we were not eliminating people’s jobs and having layoffs, so to speak.” 

KELLER ADMINISTRATION REACTS

According to news release announcing the FY27 budget, the proposed budget  meets today’s challenges while unlocking tomorrow’s opportunities. The proposed FY27 operating budget reflects clear priorities, disciplined financial management, and a commitment to improving how City government operates for the people of Albuquerque. It will now move to the City Council for review and consideration.

In a news release announcing the proposed budget, Mayor Tim Keller said this:

“We’re making the necessary cuts without sacrificing services or public safety. … This budget shows our total focus on protecting public safety, housing, and the core services people rely on every day. It’s about doing more with what we have and making sure it works for our community.”

Chief Financial Officer Carla Martinez said this:

“This is a disciplined budget built around accountability.  … We took a hard look at any inefficiency and worked with departments to reduce costs, bring work in-house, and improve performance while making sure we continue delivering essential services for our residents.”

CITY COUNCIL BUDGET CHAIR REACTS

Albuquerque City Councilor Renée Grout, who is the budget chair, said she is still reviewing the budget, but from what she has seen, she’s happy to see more efficiency. Grout said this:

“I started just barely started going through the budget, but I am pleased that they did make some cuts. I think it’s important that we all tighten our belts and make some much-needed changes.”

Councilor Grout said the process to adopt the budget will take more than a month of reviews and meetings, and changes usually occur. Gout said this:

“I will be meeting with a few of the [city department] directors just to have some more one-on-one time to learn more about, you know, what their priorities are and why they chose to do what they’re doing, recommending.”

Links to relied upon or quoted news sources are here:

Click to access fy27-proposed-budget-with-weblink-final-4-01-2026.pdf

https://www.krqe.com/home/albuquerque-mayor-releases-proposed-1-47b-budget-with-cuts-to-spending/

https://nationaltoday.com/us/nm/albuquerque/news/2026/04/02/albuquerque-mayor-proposes-1-47b-budget-with-job-cuts/

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/keller-proposes-147-billion-city-budget-for-2027/3015664

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/city-of-albuquerque-explains-that-247-job-cuts-in-proposed-budget-will-not-lead-to-layoffs/

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The  FY27 budget  is $35 million lower than last year’s $1.5 billion budget. If approved, the 2027 fiscal year budget would mark the first year the city’s budget has declined since fiscal year 2024, when the city approved a $1.37 billion budget, down from $1.42 the previous year.

The most interesting line item in the FY17 proposed budget is the $400,000  included for a new diversion initiative involving the unhoused. It is a program that will be led the City Attorney’s Office.  The program is designed to address the cycle of low-level, non-violent offenses that often result in brief and ineffective periods of detention without treatment or long-term resolution.

Ostensibly, what the new program in the City Attorneys office appears to be is that at the point of prosecution  the city will  initiate  civil mental health commitment proceedings, either in District Court or Metro Court involving the unhoused who are suffering from mental illness or drug addiction who pose a threat to themselves or others.

The FY27 budget contains $8 million in flexible, unallocated funding that will be divided up by the 9 city councils to support individual City Council priorities.  It will be interesting to see what projects each city councilor will allocate their share of the funding.

Over the next few months, the Albuquerque City Council  will hold “Committee of the Whole” budget hearings chaired by City Council Renee Grout and will review all 27 city department budgets, make changes as they see fit and must approve the budget by May 31.

According to reports, the March 28 “No Kings” rally held in Albuquerque to protest the policies of President Donald had upwards of 50,000 participants. It was  the third No Kings march held in Albuquerque and was likely the largest of the three. The last “No Kings Day” demonstration took place in the fall and had an estimated 37,000 participants. Indivisible Albuquerque, an organizer of the March 28 event said attendance estimate, based on drone footage, was 50,000 people. In New Mexico, nearly 30 rallies were held, including in Las Cruces, Santa Fe and Carlsbad.

Across the country, more than 2,000 rallies were held according to the No Kings website.  U.S. organizers had estimated that the first two rounds of No Kings rallies drew more than 5 million people in June and 7 million in October. On Saturday, March 28,  they estimated that at least 8 million participants took part in more than 3,300 events worldwide.

In Albuquerque, most participants gathered at Montgomery Park before marching peacefully for three miles along San Mateo, Montgomery,  Louisiana and Comanche boulevards before returning to the park. Temperatures reached the high 70s as a cool breeze helped  wave flags  above the heads of marchers as they held handmade signs of protest. The Albuquerque Police Department blocked off streets as protesters carried signs opposing Trump’s political  agenda and policies. The sound of banging drums and chants reverberated in the streets as passing drivers blared their horns in support of protesters with a few expressing opposition.

STACEY ABRAMS SPEAKS

From discontent and protest over the Iranian War, or  the ongoing government shutdown to concerns over immigrant and LGBTQ+ rights, protesters of all ages had different reasons for joining the rally. All voiced their complete distain and  frustration with the Trump administration.

The main guest speaker at the rally before the march was  Stacey Abrams, the former minority leader in the Georgia House of Representatives. She was  in New Mexico to campaign for Democrat Deb Haaland’s who is running for the Democratic nomination for Governor against Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman.

Abrams spoke for about 15 minutes as she spoke about the 10 steps to authoritarianism that  the Trump Administration has now taken. Those include by starting with free elections then followed by expanding executive power, installing loyalists, attacking free expression and free speech and normalizing  violence and suppression of access to the ballot box and  people’s rights to vote. Abrams said this to the cheering crowd:

“They’ve taken all 10 steps to authoritarianism. … They were going to seize our power and change our rules and change our minds and change our lives. But I’m here to tell you, no, not on our watch. …  They’ve taken the 10 steps to pull our democracy into authoritarianism; they have done their best to make the man sitting in the White House an autocrat. But if there are 10 Steps to authoritarianism and autocracy, I’m here to tell you there are 10 steps to freedom and power, and we’re going to take every single one!”

Abrams outlined 10 steps she said will take back democracy and freedom, focusing not just on the mid-term elections in November, but action at the local level. Abrams said this:

“We’re going to organize ourselves to show up after today because they need to know that ‘No Kings’ is not a day, it’s a dream, and it’s a truth, and it’s a reality. … We’re going to show up at those community meetings, at those city council meetings, at those county commission meetings, because they’re not doing this alone in DC. … They’ve got folks at the state and local level doing this with them, and they all need to know we’re paying attention. We’re going to disrupt.”

Stacy Abrams took the opportunity to campaign for Debra Haaland for Governor and said this:

“Every eight years in the state of New Mexico, you guys change your minds and say, ‘oops, never mind. We didn’t like progress. Let’s go backwards.’  … But this time y’all got Deb Haaland waiting for you, let’s get it done. Let’s elect we’ve got to elect people who believe in the people, not the power. We’ve got to elect people who believe in the future, not the past.”

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAÚL TORREZ SPEAKS TO CROWD

Another prominent  guest speaker was Attorney General Raúl Torrez. He bragged about the fact his office  has successfully sued President Trump 44 times.  Torrez also took credit for  the state’s recent legal victory against Meta and its founder Mark Zucherberg. Torrez said this:

“Now we took a little time out from suing Donald this last week to deliver a $375 million message to Mark Zuckerberg.”

Torrez told the crowd said this to the crowd cheering him on:

“You’re called upon in this moment to build a different kind of politics, to restore what really makes America great. … Two hundred and fifty years ago, a small group of people declared to the world that the consent of the governed was paramount, that we would not live under arbitrary rules and arbitrary power, that we would not abide graft and corruption and tyranny, and that is still what we are fighting for today. … As long as I have the power to stand up and say no, you can count on me, but I need to know that I can count on you to show up, to organize, to fight, to never give up, to not look away. Now is the time, and we need everything that you can give us.”

ALEXANDER UBALLEZ SPEAKS TO CROWD

Former U.S. Attorney Alexander Uballez, who unsuccessfully ran for Mayor last year coming in third with 18.79% of the vote behind Mayor Tim Keller’s  35.69%  and Darren White’s 30.65% who made it into the runoff, spoke about a young woman he met last year while campaigning who bought two dozen burritos for an unhoused man and his community. He used the story to urge people to work in the community to make things better. Uballez told the crowd this:

“Madison helped a stranger, knowing that two dozen burritos wasn’t going to fix the structural problems of poverty and mental illness and addiction that drive homelessness in our city, but knowing also that she had to do something. … This moment demands that you, too, do something, that you take a risk, that you sacrifice something, that you put something on the line when the odds are stacked against you.”

FABIOLA LANDEROS SPEAKS TO CROWD

Fabiola Landeros, a civil rights organizer with  El Centro de Igualdad y Derechos invoked the contributions of the immigrant community in New Mexico. She  said it will take all New Mexicans of conscience to resist current federal policy. Landeros said this:

“We are living in a moment where fellow Burqueños are afraid to go to the store, afraid to send our kids to school, afraid masked agents will snatch us off the streets in plain daylight. We are living in a moment where parents are having to have unthinkable conversations with our children in case we don’t come back home from work.”

PEACEFUL MARCH PROCEEDS WITHOUT INCIDENT

After all the speeches, the crowd assembled along Ponderosa Street that borders the park. The crowd was riddled with handmade signs protesting Trump and his policies, including the Iranian War he has declared and ICE arrests. Protesters march West to San Mateo and went right North to Mongomery and marched East to Louisiana and then turned West on Comanche to return to Montgomery Park for a walk of about 3 miles.

NEW MEXICO REPUBLICAN PARTY REACTS

The Republican Party of New Mexico downplayed the protest march and said the “NO KINGS” movement merely causes  confusion and division at a time when the state is facing a crisis in health care, veterans rights and a lack of school choice.

New Mexico Republican Party Chairwoman Amy Barela released the following statement on behalf of her party:

“If we had a ‘king’ in the White House, there wouldn’t be a ‘No Kings’ protest tomorrow. … We have a president who is making our country infinitely safer by doing what Democrats have refused to do for years: cracking down on crime, eliminating terrorist threats abroad, and removing dangerous criminal illegals from our communities. … Whatever the message behind these protests may be, it stands in stark contrast to what President Donald J. Trump has been doing for this country, putting America and Americans first. …For the first time in modern history, we have a president who prioritizes the people over the political elite, families over government control, and the future of our children over the agendas of Washington insiders.”

Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:

https://www.kunm.org/local-news/2026-03-28/thousands-take-to-the-streets-for-third-no-kings-protest-in-albuquerque

https://www.koat.com/article/no-kings-protest-in-albuquerque-draws-thousands-of-people/70874268

https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/thousands-protest-trump-administration-at-no-kings-day-rally-in-albuquerque/

https://www.krqe.com/news/albuquerque-metro/albuquerque-no-kings-day-rally-gathers-tens-of-thousands-of-protesters/

https://www.abqjournal.com/news/no-kings-rally-draws-thousands-to-downtown-albuquerque/2905082

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/no-kings-rallies-protest-trump-millions/

COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS

The “No Kings” rallies across the country with  8 million participants taking  part in more than 3,300 events represent what our Democracy is all about. They reflect just how upset and disgusted the public have  become with President Donald Trump.

Opinion polls are very consistent that Trump’s approval ratings are at 42% and sinking. Trump’s  invasion of two countries and declaring war without congressional approval is taking its toll, as he threatens to invade Cuba saying it’s his to take, as the government shut down continues, as gasoline prices soar and as the economy continues to tank, as ICE kills American citizens, and affordability are the number one issues in the midterms just 8 months away and as Trump’s Department of Justice continues to withhold the Trump-Epstein files.

The midterms will “tell all” if Trump will be impeached for a third time and finally removed from office, unless there is divine intervention because of his ill health. Trump has finally gotten the biggest crowds he covets and that he lied about when he was inaugurated the first time.