Local pro-business nonprofit organization New Mexico Business Coalition (NMBC) hosted a Business and Social Hour (BASH) last month, during which a job interview-style discussion was held with Albuquerque mayoral candidates Tim Keller and Manny Gonzales, who face off in the Nov. 2 election.
Keller is Albuquerque's incumbent mayor, while Gonzales is in his second term as Bernalillo County Sheriff. During the "job interviews," the two candidates were asked by a "hiring committee" about hot-button issues including homelessness, public safety, economic development and issues specific to each campaign.
When asked if he would support city mandates on businesses, Keller mentioned that he vetoed the gas tax but also raised taxes to fund the police. Eventually, the incumbent stated that "part of being a leader is not making promises you can't keep and, it depends on the mandate."
Gonzales stated that he opposed government mandates on businesses that would make it harder for them to operate in the city or the state. He posited that it is already "too difficult to do business in the city of Albuquerque" and government should not be imposing mandates that make it even harder. Noting that people tend to go to Texas or Phoenix to do business, Gonzales said the city should implement policies that make for a more business-friendly environment that removes "red-tape," rather than the other way around.
In 2017, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation did a study on the effects of government regulations and mandates on small businesses in America. The study found that regulations at all levels can hold businesses back—especially small businesses. In fact, the study asserts that state-level regulations—such as minimum wage requirements, licensing regulations, etc.—were seen as “piling on” to the already burdensome and rigid mandates handed down from the federal government.
A state legislative director for the National Federation of Independent Business said that government mandates, such as the recently debated “paid sick leave” requirements that were mentioned in the NMBC candidate interview, can have “strong implications, especially on the small business community.” Similar to the findings in the study by the USCC Foundation, she also noted that even without paid sick leave policies, regulations on businesses can cost tens of thousands of dollars per employee, per year to keep up with.
When asked what made him the best candidate for the job, Keller pointed to his record of leadership throughout the pandemic saying the city saved hundreds of businesses without federal money, through city grants.
"I am here to help our city over the long run...I need another four years," he said, continuing that he was the "only one positioned to make good on what our city needs."
In response to being asked what makes him the best candidate for the job, Gonzales cited his time in law enforcement as proof that he would truly be a servant of the community, even willing to lay down his life for it.
"We will no longer be number one in crime and have the worst economy in the country ever again, as long as I'm mayor," he said in closing.