On August 15, Mayor Keller spoke in front of an audience of upwards of 300 for a full hour to deliver his heavily publicized ninth “State of the City” address. Keller dubbed his third term agenda as an “Abundance Agenda”.
During his State of the City address, Mayor Tim Keller boldly proclaimed this:
“Government is adding to people’s frustrations during an already turbulent time by maintaining a mindset that adds, rather than removes, barriers in day-to-day life. … When times are good, we have trouble keeping up because we cling to that scarcity mindset. … That’s what holds us back. … Government is actually reducing your freedom. … It’s reducing your set of decisions and it’s not helping in any way. It’s adding to the friction in everyday life and it’s reinforcing a scarcity mindset.”
It’s amazing that Tim Keller talked like he was just elected Mayor. These are words coming from someone who has been Mayor for eight and a half years as he channeled President Ronald Reagan who famously said “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”
Keller’s State of the City address focused little on his list of accomplishments and ignored his 8 year record and lack of accomplishment as Mayor. Keller’s State of the City address focused on why Albuquerque continues to struggle with public safety, housing, economic opportunity and government bureaucracy.
The link to review Mayor Tim Keller’s August 15 State of the City Address is here:
HIGHLIGHTS OF KELLER’S STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
During his August 15 State of the City address, Keller gave a detailed historical background of New Mexico. Keller said New Mexico is a demonstration of resilience that was built on the foundation of a scarcity mindset, hoarding resources with the idea that the state might need them again. At a time of deep political division nationally and in New Mexico, Keller said Albuquerque has an opportunity to pursue a different path rooted in the city’s own history and identity.
Keller said this:
“We’re a city at the crossroads. We need each other’s help to transcend all that has held us back, to keep our cherished authentic cultural core, and to grow into the city of shared prosperity we are capable of. I argue that our history is actually core to understanding who we are today and where we have to go.”
Mayor Keller said people in the state say “no” to infrastructure projects, such as the Rail Trail and the placement of the New Mexico United stadium with both under constant scrutiny. Keller said this:
“[This is] about a city abundance agenda that is about sharing what we have instead of protecting and hoarding it. It is about making your life a little bit easier each day and it’s about trying to reduce all those things that are causing friction that make your life difficult here in the city of Albuquerque. … And if we can do that, we can restore some hope. We can restore a baseline of inspiration that actually says that in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this is a better place to live than anywhere else. Not just because of our amazing culture, but also because the government is helpful. … This is not about you, not about me, it’s about us together. Let’s answer some core questions that vex us today and get to a theory of change for tomorrow.”
Keller challenged leaders across Albuquerque and New Mexico to bring the same abundance mindset to the region’s biggest decisions. Investing in people and infrastructure, supporting transformative projects, and moving beyond the tendency to repeatedly relitigate major investments rather than getting them built.
For his third term, Keller said he is challenging city government to work differently by starting with safety, removing unnecessary barriers, expanding choices, sharing resources the City already has, and making government tangibly useful in people’s everyday lives. This coming from someone who has been Mayor for eight and a half years, and it should have been done all along.
KELLER’S ABUNDANCE AGENDA EXPLORED IN DETAIL
Keller announced that his “Abundance Agenda” will be a push to open more opportunities for people to build, invest, and improve the city while reducing the bureaucratic hurdles that too often get in the way of good ideas. Keller said he wants to focus on sharing “every asset the city has to offer.” Keller’s “Abundance Agenda” includes initiatives like making it easier to receive a commercial or residential building permit, focusing on local labor agreement and turning city land into affordable housing. With this in mind, Keller said the city will begin to take a new approach to how city resources will be shared.
Keller’s “Abundance Agenda” will focus on three key points during his third term as Mayor:
- Public safety
- Making the local government provide help to those in need and
- Building our civic muscle to be able to actually get things done.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Mayor Keller proclaimed his Abundance Agenda will not succeed unless residents feel safe in their homes, neighborhoods and public spaces and he said this:
“None of this strategy works if we are not safe as a community. … Crime is going down in Albuquerque. It doesn’t mean we feel safer, but we know the statistics are going in the right direction. … Folks just want the city of Albuquerque government to help them a little bit, to help ease the pain of everyday life, even if it’s in a small way. … Public safety is a precursor to any form of abundance. You can’t move from a scarcity mindset focused on survival to one of growth and abundance when you’re scared.”
Keller described safety in its broadest sense, encompassing families using parks, people riding buses or walking down the street, businesses opening their doors, and people experiencing homelessness, addiction or behavioral health crises. APD will continue working to reduce crime, Albuquerque Community Safety (ACS) will continue providing an alternative response to behavioral health and other nonviolent calls, and the Gateway System of Care will continue expanding pathways from the street to shelter, treatment, and stable housing. The City will also take a stronger approach to fentanyl, addiction, and other factors driving homelessness, providing safe alternatives and clear pathways to treatment and recovery while restoring shared public spaces for everyone. He challenged the community “to commit to some clear principles, to a public compact that we can do better than leave someone on the street.”
Keller said that the Albuquerque Police Department (APD) will continue focusing on violent crime, drug houses and businesses associated with illegal drug activity. The mayor highlighted a violence-intervention program that will connect high school students with services and mentors who have lived experience, including people who were formerly incarcerated. Keller said this:
“It has shown for every kid in the program roughly an 80% increase in their grades and an 80% drop in any criminal activity. … We just finished offering it to every high school in Albuquerque. This is going to make a difference in our city.”
Mayor Keller noted existing programs, such as Albuquerque Community Safety, the Gateway Center and the School-Based Violence Intervention Program which he claimed was the most successful program in the state.
Mayor Tim Keller announced that the Albuquerque Community Safety Department’s (ACS) role in responding to behavioral-health, mental-health and other nonviolent calls will be expanded. He said the department has now taken 150,000 calls from the 911 system. “Those are all calls APD did not have to respond to so they could focus on violent crime.”
FENTANYL CRISIS
Mayor Keller addressed allegations made by a former Drug Enforcement Agency agent and published by the Albuquerque media that the agency had allowed tens of thousands of fentanyl pills to be trafficked into New Mexico in the name of tracing the drugs’ path to make more major arrests from 2023 to 2025, calling the actions “wrong” and “immoral”. Keller said this:
“We are at least going to honor the cost of those lives that were lost, the cost of everyone who’s working in recovery and in rehab and dealing with this issue, the cost of law enforcement to deal with this issue, and we are going to hold those accountable who made that decision. … We are going to make sure that Albuquerque is never used again by our federal government for a drug experiment.”
Staying on the subject of federal government, the mayor pledged to “stand up to ICE” (Immigrations and Customs Enforcement) following the deaths of Renée Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, Minnesota, saying “we have the laws and the grit and the guts to make sure that that does not happen in Albuquerque.”
MAKING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDE HELP TO THOSE IN NEED
Mayor Keller said responding to homelessness will again be a major priority during his third term with a focus on individualized care. He said the approach includes diversion from jail, transportation, shelter beds and assistance with personal belongings. Keller said this:
“We have to start treating individuals like people who have their own history and their own needs instead of just by location. … We have to build our system around the actual individual.”
Mayor Keller called for a new public compact that provides meaningful help to people experiencing living homelessness or addiction while keeping shared spaces safe and accessible. Keller said this:
“Public spaces have to be for everyone. It is not illegal to sit at a bench in a park and it’s also not illegal to walk down the street, but it is illegal to do drugs in our parks. … We have to have compassion to actually get people real help, but we also have to make sure that the public domain is there for all of us to enjoy together.”
To help address the unhoused, Keller said the Gateway System of 5 shelters is providing shelter and services to individuals, families and teenagers. Keller said the Gateway System of Care is finally up and running, taking care of 1,200 people every night. He also said the Albuquerque Community Safety Department is helping connect people on the streets or in emergency rooms with Gateway services. Keller boasted saying this:
“ACS is transporting almost 600 folks a month from the streets into the Gateway System. … They’re also diverting 2,000 people from emergency rooms into places like the Gateway System, where they can get the right kind of care.”
Mayor Tim Keller said one way the city can help reduce visible homelessness is to require more treatment and diversion options, as well as additional state support for the Gateway System and housing assistance. Keller said this:
“We should not have to grovel for resources for the Gateway System. It’s the single most needed right thing now in our city and we should not have to beg for housing vouchers.”
AFFORDABLE HOUSING INITIATIVES
Mayor Keller spoke about housing and affordability among residents trying to buy a home or rent an apartment in the city. Keller said Albuquerque’s rules have traditionally limited people to single-family homes and he wants his administration to manufacture homes and find easier ways to build them. Mayor Keller said this:
“We’re going to start by democratizing what it means to actually decide for yourself what your home should be. … You pick what type, and you’ll have options, choices to actually decide what home means for you.”
Mayor Keller’s “Abundance Agenda” includes a new online program called the “Available City Property Program” that lists nearly 200 city-owned properties that are vacant or underused public land to be leased, purchased or used for projects such as housing, businesses and community gardens, depending on location and zoning. (POSTCRIPT provides link to article on “Available City Property Program”.) The city plans to offer vacant buildings to certified child care providers, expand evening and weekend rentals of community facilities and let residents share excess home-grown produce and eggs at the city’s four Health and Social Service Centers. Mayor Keller said certified childcare providers could use underused city buildings without paying for the space. Keller said this:
“We are just going to let any childcare group that is certified and all that can use our space for free. … We’re going to give you dozens of buildings to take care of our kids for the next generation.”
Keller announced a facility rental program that will allow families to rent city-owned spaces, including community centers and theaters, for recreational use such as quinceañeras and anniversaries. Rental fees will be based on the scale and purpose of the activity for the 20 locations currently available for booking. Certified childcare groups will be able to use the facilities for free, he added. Keller said the city plans to make gyms, community centers and event spaces more accessible after normal business hours and he said this:
“We are going to let you rent and use our facilities seven days a week and we’re going to let you use them in the evenings.”
Keller proposed a “yes first” policy that would allow thousands of building projects to begin before inspections are complete.
Mayor Keller addressed a proposed program that would allow residents to take surplus produce and eggs to four city health and social-service centers for distribution. “So, we’re creating the Backyard Exchange,” said Keller. “We’re going to connect the people with extra to the people who need it. …That is demonstrating food and abundance here in Albuquerque.”
COST OF LIVING AND AFFORDABILITY
Keller said this:
“Cost of living is more than paying bills. It’s also the time and frustration that everyday tasks take from our lives. Government should make everyday life easier, not take more of your time.”
Keller emphasized how that principle will shape work across City government. For people building or repairing homes and for entrepreneurs trying to open businesses, the City is working to shorten permitting timelines, preapprove more construction plans, use new technology for inspections, and eliminate unnecessary points of delay. For some smaller projects, the City will fundamentally reverse the traditional relationship between residents and government. Keller said this:
“We are switching the default to ‘yes”. … Instead of ‘wait for the City to start,’ it’s ‘start and the City will catch up.’”
The City will also launch a “backyard exchange” connecting excess produce and eggs from local gardens, farms and home growers with families around the city who can use them. It’s another example of the abundance principle of connecting resources that already exist with people who need them.
Keller’s abundance agenda also calls for growing Albuquerque’s economy so families have more opportunities to earn and get ahead. That means building on the city’s competitive advantages in emerging industries including quantum, fusion, and directed energy, while making sure new investment creates good local jobs and supports local businesses through tools like community benefit agreements.
REDUCING FRICTION ON FAMILIES
For families, Keller said his abundance agenda and the changes it will bring are about making it easier to live a good life in Albuquerque. A birthday party should not require navigating layers of government bureaucracy. A youth sports team should be able to find an affordable place to practice. A childcare provider should not be stopped because usable space is sitting empty. A neighborhood should not have to watch vacant public land remain fenced off for decades.
Keller said this:
“By giving people more choices, sharing what government does have and making it easier to do things, we can reduce the pain of daily living. … That is our City abundance agenda; that we all feel safer and feel better about City government because it actually is helpful in our daily lives.”
CLOSING REMARKS
Mayor Keller ended his State of the City address by saying the city and state have an “opportunity that we haven’t seen in generations,” noting that the University of New Mexico recently welcomed a new president just months before the state will elect a new governor. Keller said this:
“We have to push back against the scarcity mindset that is still with us from that history that was the other side of resilience because now we actually can demonstrate abundance.”
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Keller’s eight and a half years record as mayor reflects the type of leadership and failed programs we can expect over the next three and a half years. Keller’s Abundance Agenda will be more of the same approach to government and failed policies to the city’s problems.
THE KELLER RECORD AS MAYOR
Mayor Tim Keller’s did not cover his eight year record as Mayor in his State of the City address and it merits review now that he has announced his third term agenda.
THE ART BUS PROJECT
During his first term, Mayor Keller completed the $125 million dollar ART bus project down central initiated by his predecessor Mayor Richard Berry The ART Bus budget destroyed many downtown businesses as well as historic Route 66. Keller could have easily abandoned the ART Bus project, especially when he declared it “a bit of a lemon” and was forced to sue the bus manufacturer and Keller settled the case for nothing and no damages. Keller could have restored Central, but he abandoned it ignoring its historical significance.
FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CONSENT DEGREE
For seven years, Keller was saddled with a Department of Justice (DOJ) consent degree over APD negotiated by his predecessor Mayor Richard Berry that mandated 276 reforms. Keller promised the consent decree would be resolved and all reforms instituted during his first four-year term, but he took seven years. The city spent millions to implement the reforms while Keller allowed the police union to undercut the reform process. APD finally instituted constitutional policing practices to prevent excessive use of force and deadly force with the DOJ consent decree dismissed, but it was not because of Keller’ leadership but because of the efforts of the Department of Justice and the Court appointed federal monitor holding the city’s feet to the fire.
CITY CRIME RATES
Eight years ago when Keller first ran and became Mayor, he proclaimed crime was out of control, that he could get it down and that he would increase APD sworn from the 850 to 1,200. During Keller’s entire two terms as Mayor, the number of sworn APD officers never reached 1,000. During Keller’s first seven years as Mayor, homicides, aggravated assaults and drug crimes spiked to historical highs. Violent crime spiked so bad that Keller announced 5 separate programs, including declaring violent crime a Public Health Crises. The new programs he initiated accomplished little next to nothing to bring down violent crime. After 8 years, historically high crime rates began to come down in 2025 with the decline part of a national trend. The city’s ongoing homicide and violent crime rates continue to be at unacceptable highs and people simply do not feel safe in their homes as the fentanyl crisis surges.
APD TOP HEAVY MANAGMENT AND MISMANAGEMENT
The Albuquerque Police Department is still dangerously understaffed at 913 sworn police officers with only 350 sworn police assigned to the area commands in 3 shifts to handle thousands of calls for service. APD is seriously top heavy with management. Mayor Keller added new levels of police management creating the positions of Major, Deputy Commanders and Chief Public Safety Officer. On March 24, and after over three-month national search, Mayor Tim Keller announced his appointment of Interim APD Chief Cecily Barker as the new APD Chief and Public Safety Executive Director Raul Bujanda who also oversees APD. APD Chief Barker was one of former APD Chief Harold Medina’s Deputy Chiefs, she was Medina’s own personally announce preferred replacement, and she has kept most if not all of Chief Medina’s upper command staff when they should have been replaced. Keller created the Chief Public Safety Officer position and he is paid $180,000 a year. APD has had eight years of increased budgets, salary increases and lucrative bonus initiated by Mayor Keller yet only 350 patrol the streets and crime is still at unacceptable levels.
Mayor Keller’s mismanagement of APD during his tenure as Mayor extended all the way up to the APD Chief. Keller refused to hold APD Chief Harold Medina accountable for a vehicle crash where Medina negligently plowed into another driver putting the driver in the hospital in critical condition. Medina admitted to violating state law when he failed to have his body camera on during an incident that preceded the crash. After the crash, Keller called Medina “arguably the most important person right now in these times in our city.” Medina’s appointed Crash Review Board declared the crash as “non avoidable” even after Medina admitted to causing the crash. Medina was given a slap on the wrist with letters of reprimand. The City and Medina have been sued by the injured driver and the case is still pending and will likely result in a significant judgement being paid for Medina’s negligent driving and his running of a red light. Medina is gone, but his philosophy and influence on the department remains firm because his management team remains in charge.
Then there is the largest bribery and corruption case in APD’s history with 14 APD Officers implicated and 3 who have been federally charged and who have plead guilty to federal bribery and conspiracy charges involving the dismissal of hundreds of DWI cases for bribes. The former APD officers face up to 130 years in prison. Not one of the defendants have been sentenced. On August 31, it was reported that another 6 APD police officers have been placed on leave after being implicated in the scandal. Mayor Keller has refused to take any responsibility for what happened under his watch as he deflected and blamed others. Keller blamed the Court’s, the DAs Office and the Public Defenders for the DWI dismissals.
MILLIONS SPENT TO PROVIDE UNHOUSED SERVICES THEY REJECT
Since day one of becoming Mayor in 2017, dealing with the unhoused on the streets of Albuquerque and getting the homeless off the streets and getting them services has been a major priority of Mayor Tim Keller. During Keller’s tenure as Mayor, the number of homeless has more than doubled despite his efforts as he allows the homeless to proliferate the city streets. The most recent “Point In Time” Survey released mid- August reports the city has 3,122 people unhoused, up from 2,960 reported in 2025. In the last 4 years, Keller has spent upwards of $300 million on 5 shelters with 125 service contracts and service programs for the homeless.
Keller has increased spending for services yearly to the unhoused to the tune of $53,901,355 (F/Y ‘26) to $85,283,471 (F/Y ’27). The biggest obstacle is that 75% of the homeless refuse city shelter and services, yet millions are being spent. Keller has advocated allowing upwards of 100 Safe Outdoor Spaces for 1,000 homeless to camp, scattered through out the city. Keller created the Albuquerque Community Safety Division and staffed it with upwards of 125 with social workers and mental health care professionals to do outreach to the homeless and to reduce by the thousands calls for service to APD, but the homeless still proliferate city streets.
KELLER’S UPZONING EFFORTS REBRANDED AS “DEMOCRACY”
During his State of the City Address, Keller said this in part about housing: “We’re going to start by democratizing what it means to actually decide for yourself what your home should be. … You pick what type, and you’ll have options, choices to actually decide what home means for you.” What Keller did was simply “rebrand” his aggressive approach to make major changes to all city zoning laws. Keller wants to double or triple housing density in established neighborhoods over strenuous objections from property owners and neighborhood associations. Keller wants to allow “upzoning” by residential property owners to increase density and allow casita and duplex development and apartment development on corners in all established neighborhoods to benefit developers and to deprive adjacent property owners the right to object and appeal. Keller erroneously believes that increased density will increase affordable housing as he ignores market forces and the profit motive. Keller’s zoning changes will make gentrification an official city policy that caters to developers at the expense of neighborhoods and property rights.
CONCLUSION
Mayor Keller himself has contributed significantly to our frustrations during turbulent times with many of his failed policies and failed management practices, especially those dealing with the unhoused, APD management and the DWI bribery and conspiracy scandal and residential zoning changes to double or triple density to benefit developers and investors. Based on his State of the City Address, we can expect the same mediocre quality of leadership Mayor Keller has bought the city for the last 8 and half years with little to show for it. Keller’s State of the City Address was his attempt at eloquence and inspiration, and it was neither.
Links to quoted or relied upon news sources are here:
https://abq.news/2026/08/what-mayor-kellers-new-abundance-agenda-means-for-albuquerque/
https://nm.news/2026/08/17/what-mayor-kellers-new-abundance-agenda-means-for-albuquerque/
The link to a related Dinelli article is here: