State Rep. Miguel Garcia (D-Albuquerque) has filed a bill for the upcoming legislative session that would shift the responsibility for repairing damaged sidewalks.
Buckled, cracked, and damaged sidewalks are prevalent throughout the state. Currently, it is the responsibility of the nearest homeowner or business to pay for the repairs adjacent to their property. Garcia’s bill, if it becomes law, will make the city or county responsible for paying for the repairs.
Garcia, who represents southwest Albuquerque, told KRQE he is sponsoring the bill because, “There’s an inequity there when it comes to lower-income neighborhoods that just can’t cough up that $300 to $500 to do simple buckling on the sidewalk repair.”
A city official told KRQE that paying to repair sidewalks would be overwhelming to the staff and the city’s budget.
“If our operating budget is not increased we, obviously, won’t be able to repair all the sidewalks that are currently being repaired now,” Scott Cilke, a spokesman for the Department of Municipal Development told KRQE. “The alternative to that would be we would need about a $3 million increase per fiscal year to cover the cost of the sidewalks that are currently being covered by property owners.”
Homeowners say it isn’t fair they have to do the repairs since they don’t own the sidewalks and are concerned about liability if someone is injured falling because of a damaged sidewalk.