Mayor Tim Keller’s 2024 State of the City: Fighting for the Future of Albuquerque

Today, Mayor Tim Keller delivered his sixth State of the City address at a community event hosted at the Albuquerque BioPark Zoo. The gathering brought over 1,300 people together to learn about City efforts on a range of fronts including public safety, housing and homelessness solutions, and creating safe, vibrant ‘third places’ for people of all ages to find belonging in our communities.

Mayor Keller’s speech included stories from folks from different backgrounds in Albuquerque, illustrating some of the programs that are at work in our communities to help overcome the challenges we are experiencing and indicators that we are headed in the right direction. Featured Burqueños include Ceriyah Wilmore, a recent graduate of West Mesa High School sharing her experience in the School Based Violence Intervention Program and how it helped her get back on track; Ashley Martinez, who gave us a look into Cuidando Los Niños, a nonprofit that helps homeless children and their families; and Courtenay Eichhorst from Local 412 Plumbers & Pipefitters who delivered a frontline account of construction in the city and the flurry of new businesses flocking to Albuquerque.  

This year’s remarks were centered around “a future worth fighting for,” acknowledging that the challenges we are going through as a city are difficult to overcome, but there is a bright future on the horizon for Albuquerque if we are willing to stay in the ring and fight for it. Thematically, Keller’s speech wove together boxing metaphors and continued his commitment to ‘the promise of Albuquerque for families” from all walks of life.   

The full speech will be available this week at cabq.gov/sotc.  

Continued Focus on Public Safety, Because Families Deserve to Feel Safe in Albuquerque 

• Taking back out transit system, enforcing our rules to ride by adding patrols and presence by with a layered approach by PSA’s, Metro Security and Transit Safety Officers to buses and stops.  
• Adding more crime fighting technology: 
• Doubling ShotSpotter gun detection to cover more schools, shopping areas, and communities. 
• Doubling speed cameras from 20 to 40 across our city to slow down traffic. 
• Adding dozens cameras and license plate readers to give officers more eyes across the city. 
• Added over 1,000 streetlights and continuing to add lights to neighborhoods, especially those who have historically been left in the dark.  
• Helping businesses stay safe by offering grants to install security cameras and repair broken windows.  

Going All-in to Address Homelessness and Get People Into Housing  

• Announced the Metro Homelessness Initiative (MHI), a sweeping approach to double down and all City efforts to get people into housing and off the streets,  
• Fixing the struggling voucher system and doubling street outreach 
• Introducing a Renters’ Bill of Rights and Landlord Engagement Program 
• Developing a ‘distributed’ approach to the Gateway Network, expanding to five locations to add more wrap-around services:  
• Bringing the sobering center and medical respite online at the Gateway Center at the old Lovelace Hospital. The center’s housing navigation center and partner providers are already helping hundreds of people a day. 
• Transforming the west side shelter into the Gateway West with no barriers to entry and wrap-around services.  
• Building Youth Gateway for young adults at the old San Mateo Inn. 
• Starting the Recovery Gateway, our first micro-community for those experiencing homelessness and addiction.  
• Housing over 50 families at the Family Gateway. 
• Empowering people with “A Better Way Forward,” providing dignity and jobs to our unhoused as a pathway out of homelessness for folks at Gateways.  
• Committing to keeping our parks, medians and sidewalks clean. 
• Building more affordable housing: 
• Converting rundown hotels into affordable housing, like Los Altos Lofts. 
• Added 2,200 new affordable units since 2018. 
• Building 400 new apartments at Uptown that connect direct to our transit system.  
• Providing incentives to help build for over 300 new units in the International District. 

Growing the Economy of Albuquerque’s Future  

• Bringing thousands of new jobs in green energy and over $1 billion in investment with Ebon, Maxeon, and Array. 
• Fighting to raise the minimum wage in Albuquerque to protect working families.   
• Rejuvenating Downtown to build a strong, welcoming city center: 

• Infusing $200 million in funding over the next 20 years through a Tax Increment Financing District.  
• Supporting downtown leaders as they organize a new business improvement district to put transformative power back into the hands of the community.   
• Working with City Council on provisions to hold out of state absentee landlords accountable 
• We’re also providing free job training to nearly 2,000 employees at 300 local businesses with CNM through the Job Training Albuquerque program, which has $50 million in added earning power.  
• Cracking down on out-of-state absentee landlords to cut down on vacancies.

Getting Into the Ring on Healthcare  

• For the first time, the City announced that it is partnering with healthcare professionals to open a new clinic, designed to recruit and retain healthcare specialists and address the shortage of doctors in Albuquerque, giving people better access to important care.  
• Bringing New Mexico’s first dental school, the Touro College of Dental Medicine, to Albuquerque so that aspiring local dental students can get trained and work in our community.  

Creating an Inclusive and Sustainable Future for Families 

• Building belonging and strengthening community with 3rd places in all corners of the city, from parks to community and multigenerational centers.  
• Adding dog parks, splash pads, bathrooms and water fountains back in our parks.  
• Planted 25,000 trees and 170 pollinator gardens.   

Quotes from the Remarks: 

Giving our police department the tools and resources they need to keep our city safe. “When I came into office, we were up against the ropes.  We fought back with more civilian response, and technology like shot detection, license plate readers, gun databases; and old-fashioned police work like bike cops, the downtown beat, and open space patrols. We now have 10,000 cameras across the city connected to the Real Time Crime Center, 1,000 new streetlights, and cleared thousands of felony warrants - all bringing more safety for our families. This approach is working. Homicides are down nearly 30% and we doubled our clearance rate. If you shoot someone in our city, our officers will find you and arrest you. We’re solving more cases and bringing more hope to families of victims.” 

Achieving DOJ compliance and continuing to build rebuild our police department. “It’s hard to believe, but it was only four years ago when the federal government almost took over our entire department. But today, we are in full compliance with the DOJ reforms. Few thought it was possible – but this is just the beginning of APD’s resurgence. We will never back down when it comes to building trust in the community and adapting to meet the needs of our city. From the superintendent of reform, to APD ambassadors, to collaborations with other law enforcement agencies, APD is owning its mistakes and improving every day. Our message is clear: Do not count us out.” 

All-in approach to addressing homelessness. “Despite our best efforts, we estimate 5,000 people are living on our streets. We’re not backing down or blaming anyone else, but we can’t ‘fix’ this alone. We’re announcing the Metro Homelessness Initiative (MHI) – a sweeping, all-in approach to make a difference in as many lives as possible... No idea is off the table when it comes to getting people off the street and into housing, from land banking, to more micro communities, to selling off city land to fund housing... We’re acting with urgency, but what the City can do alone, is not enough. We are inviting service providers, the business community, and elected leaders to come to the table this fall, pool our resources and turn the tide on homelessness.” 

Building the future economy of New Mexico. “For decades we dreamed of an Albuquerque at the center of the renewable economy, now that dream is becoming real. Just last week, our second massive solar manufacturer announced it’s coming to Mesa Del Sol. Between Ebon, Maxeon, and Array, there are literally over $1 billion in investments and thousands of jobs on the way. America’s future is being built here today.” 

Focusing on “what’s good,” and continuing to work to create more of it. “I know sometimes it’s tempting to focus on what’s wrong, but we can also celebrate the work being done and “what’s good” in this city. Looking ahead, there’s a lot to be optimistic about… Make no mistake, ‘good things’ ARE happening. This is why we do what we do; it’s all about building a better future for our families. A place of equity, inclusion and access where everyone can live healthy lives in the city we love.” 

Having the tenacity and the will to keep fighting for our future. “Our love of Albuquerque can be complicated, it drives our frustration and disappointment when we don't meet expectations... Things aren't going to turn around overnight, but we keep fighting for the city we love. This 'never give up’ attitude is inherent in our story. Building a strong community, despite our challenges, IS Albuquerque’s story, a story that I believe is an example for America’s future.” 

The Address Will be Airing on Local Stations at the Following Times:  

KOAT Channel 7: Sunday, August 25, 2024, at 4:30 p.m. 

KRQE Channel 13: Sunday, September 1, 2024, at 4:00 p.m. 

Fox Channel 2: Sunday, August 25, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. 

CW Channel 19: Sunday, September 1, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. 

KASY Channel 50: Sunday, August 25, 2024, at 7:30 a.m. 

Continuing his tradition, the Mayor walked out to some Heavy Metal (#metalmayor) to “Diablo” by Kerry King and walked off to “512” by Lamb of God.