Mayor Keller, Business Community Come Together to Urge Support of Bond Initiatives
September 25, 2019
At a meeting of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce today, Mayor Tim Keller joined leaders of the business community from around the city for a show of unified support for the city-related bond initiatives on the ballot this fall.
If passed, the bond would not increase taxes, and would invest in long-term solutions on challenges the city faces, including the first phase of a homeless shelter clearinghouse for connecting the homeless community to services.
Mayor Tim Keller said, “These bonds are more than bricks and mortar. Without raising taxes, they invest in solving our biggest challenges: funding police substations, railyards redevelopment, repairing our roads, and finally building a homeless shelter to address a huge need. The business community is one hundred percent behind these efforts, and today we are coming together to ask the community, with one voice, to help us invest in building Albuquerque by voting this fall and passing this bond.”
The capital investment package will support approximately 1,084 jobs over the life of the projects and have an estimated economic impact of $1.5 million. If voters say yes at the ballot box, bonds will fund projects that span across every Albuquerque district:
- $30 million in road improvements,
- $14 million for a 24/7 homeless shelter,
- $7.25 million for a police station in the SE Area Command,
- $13.3 million for parks including Balloon Fiesta Park and Daniel Webster Children’s Park,
- $5.5 million for a new International District community library,
- $5 million for Railyard cleanup, and more.
Also on the ballot this November is a 10-year renewal of a 20-year-old transit tax that funds additional road repairs, bicycle infrastructure and trails, and transit. Taxes will not increase if the renewal passes.
Terri Cole, Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce President and CEO said, “Homelessness is an issue that we have to address alongside trying to create an economically viable downtown. That means providing services, providing opportunities to our homeless community, providing ways that are helpful to them. It also means a 24/7 shelter that is a clearinghouse for our homeless population.”
Kurt Browning, from the NAIOP New Mexico Board of Directors and Titan Development said, “You have to have quality infrastructure and quality facilities to make a great city. These capital improvements will improve our infrastructure, improve facilities, they’re much needed. On top of that, thousands of jobs in planning, design, construction, legal, finance, across the board, get created via these bond issues.”