The Albuquerque City Council passed a balanced $1.4 billion budget Monday evening, focusing on public safety, maintaining low fees, and creating a new pilot program to address mental health.
The budget does not reduce funding for the Albuquerque Police Department (APD), Community Safety, or Albuquerque Fire Rescue (AFR) and includes the addition of a new Environmental Health Department food inspector. The budget also increases library technology funding by $200,000 to a total of $400,000 to enhance access to digital resources and educational tools. Additionally, it allocates $250,000 each for food at the BioPark and Animal Welfare Shelters.
“I’m proud of this budget, especially since the forecasts indicate a smaller than expected growth rate,” Councilor Klarissa Peña said. “We were able to expand social services, maintain our levels of public safety, and keep fee increases for our residents at a minimum.”
Councilors amended the budget (C/S R-24-36) to eliminate aquatics program fees, create a one-dollar raise in municipal golf greens fees, and build accountability and transparency into City Administration functions.
The Council's Committee of the Whole Chairwoman Klarissa Peña also included funding to leverage local funds to match Federal Medicaid or Medicare resources for either the Home and Community Based Services (HCBS) 1915(c) Waiver or the Medicaid 1115 Demonstration Waiver. This creates a pilot program offering wrap-around services for individuals with psychiatric and/or substance abuse disorders.
Peña commended the Council staff for their hard work in collaborating with the Mayor's staff to submit a budget that achieves the City's goals while maintaining fiscal responsibility and transparency for residents.
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