Albuquerque is facing a critical election season this fall, with city residents expressing concern over the direction of local policies. Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation, argued in an opinion piece published in the Albuquerque Journal that recent progressive policies have had negative effects on the city.
Gessing pointed to changes made under both Democratic and Republican leadership, including the implementation of the Albuquerque Rapid Transit system during former Mayor Richard Berry's tenure. He claimed that despite intentions to make Central Avenue more transit-friendly, "Central has seen numerous businesses close and homelessness and crime explode." As Route 66 approaches its 100th anniversary in 2026, Gessing noted that festivities such as the Balloon Fiesta celebration will take place outside Albuquerque’s modern route due to current conditions.
The article also criticized current Mayor Tim Keller’s administration for not resolving issues related to crime and homelessness. According to Gessing, "the problems continue to worsen despite (or because of) massive spending," highlighting that city and county governments recently received $80 million from the state legislature intended to support around 1,000 homeless individuals—an amount he calculated at about $83,000 per person. He further stated: "Under Keller, spending on services for the homeless has increased sevenfold — from $3.6 million a year to $25 million a year. Some (including this author) believe that increased funding and the addition of new services has led to the presence of more homeless people."
Another focus was Albuquerque's free city bus program. Gessing wrote: "The program, which of course is paid for by taxpayers, has led to massive safety issues on city buses with buses being used as getaway vehicles for shoplifting." He referenced recent incidents involving violence on public transportation and noted ongoing efforts by the city's Transit Department to hire additional security guards.
While acknowledging a drop in murder rates in recent years, Gessing emphasized persistent challenges with property crime and vagrancy. He raised questions about data collection methods but maintained that these remain serious problems.
Beyond public safety concerns, Gessing accused Mayor Keller's administration of doubling the city budget without significant improvement in outcomes and cited other decisions such as distributing federal COVID-19 funds as bonuses for staffers and raising taxes early in his term.
"The state of the city is not good thanks to misguided 'progressive' policies," Gessing concluded. He added: "Keller is not the only cause of the problems facing Albuquerque, but he is the only one running for a third term as mayor."
The Rio Grande Foundation describes itself as an independent research organization dedicated to promoting limited government and economic freedom in New Mexico.
