Council President Dan Lewis Says Veto Override Was Unnecessary

The Albuquerque City Council took no action on Mayor Tim Keller’s veto of R-23-197, which aimed to bring the Council and Commission together to find a way forward for air quality.

Newly elected Council President Dan Lewis stated that there was no need for an override and no need for the Veto in the first place.

"The Mayor's veto of R-176 was a petty attempt by the mayor to have it both ways. He wants to be supportive of a rogue Air Board that defied city laws and also gives the City’s authority to the County Commission. At the same time, he wanted to appear supportive of entities such as Maxeon, Sandia Labs, Kirtland Air Force Base, and other major employers in our City that have expressed grave concern over doing business in a City that would enact a rule crippling their ability to invest in our City. The Mayor can’t have it both ways,” said Council President Dan Lewis.

R-23-197 was introduced by a Councilor, who is no longer in office and was passed by the Council in an attempt to collaborate with the County Commission to resolve disputes over the Air Board. The legislation was sent to the Mayor for consideration on December 11, 2023. Had he allowed it to become law, a working group could have been established to make recommendations. 

Instead, the Mayor vetoed the legislation, knowing that Council could not take action to override his veto until three days before the recommendations called for in R-23-197 were due. Given these circumstances, there was no need to override the Mayor's veto. As a result, a motion to override the veto was not made. 

"We stand ready to work with the Mayor and the Commission to resolve issues between the City and the County about the Air Board,” said Council President Dan Lewis.