Albuquerque City Council Meeting - May 27, 2026

The City Council held its 12th meeting of the 27th Council on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 5:00 PM via Zoom. All nine councilors were present initially, though Councilors Telles and Lewis recused or were excused from certain votes. The meeting included approval of the May 18 journal, suspension of rules to place three resolutions on the final agenda, general public comments, and final actions on three budget-related items. The meeting adjourned at 5:43 PM.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Grace Dukes criticized the council for ignoring the recession, rising costs, and private equity influence, and accused the majority of lacking transparency and defunding services for the bottom while protecting APD and AFR. She stated the city criminalizes homelessness and that displacing people does not solve homelessness.
• Dr. Lisa Christofferson (representing New Mexico Stronger Together Coalition) announced a public forum series on homelessness, criticized the sidewalk ordinance (O-26-14) as cruel, and urged a pause on enforcement until sufficient shelter and housing exist. She noted shelters are full and that the council voted against rental protections.
• Jasmine Arias (likely a transcript error for Emilio Martinez) — actually the next speakers were Emilio Martinez and Rudolph Serrano, both APD dispatchers/911 operators. Emilio Martinez appealed for hazard pay and first responder recognition, describing forced 16-hour shifts with only 2-3 hours of sleep, and requested the council to consider dispatchers in the budget.
• Rudolph Serrano also spoke as a 911 operator, requesting a reduction of forced overtime from 16 to 14 hours to allow adequate sleep. He noted the difficulty of eight hours between shifts.
• Rudolph Serrano (second appearance) spoke in support of cultural events funding (bands of enchantment, piano competition), cited economic benefits from film industry, and opposed raising garbage prices to avoid illegal dumping.
• Sarah Azebo opposed the sidewalk ordinance, arguing it denies dignity to unhoused people, and questioned whether councilors would give up their chairs for someone with nowhere to sit.
• Shue (speaker name unclear) echoed opposition to the sidewalk ordinance, calling it inhumane, and noted extreme heat expected in summer.
• Danae (speaker name) provided an update on her housing situation, thanking council and staff (especially Abigail Styles) for assistance; she expected to receive keys to an apartment on Monday.

Discussion Items

• Rule Suspensions: The council unanimously voted to suspend rules to allow immediate consideration of three resolutions (R-37, R-38, R-39) on the agenda, all without objection.
• R-37 – Adjusting FY26 Operating Appropriations for Cultural Events: Vice President Champine introduced the resolution to provide $280,000 in additional funding to bands of enchantment ($200,000 total additional, making $780,000 for FY26), Route 66 Hispanic Cultural Events, and the Olga Kern International Piano Competition. The funding is transferred from the lodgers tax fund to the general fund and allocated to the arts and cultural department. The bill rescinds R-26-36 (which had passed 8-1 with Telles recused). Councilor Telles recused herself. The resolution was debated briefly; Vice President Champine clarified funding splits and that it is a technical re-introduction due to needing two budget hearings. A motion to postpone to June 1, 2026 carried 8-0 (Telles recused).
• R-38 – Appropriating Funds for Juneteenth Activities: Councilor Rogers moved to appropriate funds within the FY26 operating budget to support Juneteenth activities, rescinding R-26-31. Dr. Lisa Christofferson spoke in support, thanking the council and requesting better security at venues for Black women. Councilor Rogers noted the funds are moved from unexpended council directed spending. A motion to postpone to June 1, 2026 carried 8-0 (Lewis excused).
• R-39 – Adjusting FY27 Appropriations for Budget Reconciliation: Councilor Grout moved to pass a resolution correcting inadvertent reconciliation omissions in the FY27 budget, reallocating $150,000 from city support department early retirement appropriation to council services department. No public comment. The motion to pass carried 8-0 (Lewis excused).

Key Outcomes

• R-39 passed (8-0, with Councilor Lewis excused), adjusting FY27 appropriations for budget reconciliation.
• R-37 and R-38 were postponed to the June 1, 2026 meeting, each passing 8-0 (with recusal/excusal noted) as required for budget items needing two hearings.
• Public comments on dispatch overtime led to requests for data: Vice President Champine asked the administration to provide information on forced overtime practices at dispatch (number of employees, hours, workweeks). Councilor Rogers echoed the request. The City Attorney noted some issues may be subject to collective bargaining negotiations.
• The council acknowledged the successful housing placement of a public commenter (Danae) and thanked staff for assistance.