Albuquerque committee approves budget committee substitute, preserves $8M for permanent supportive housing

The Albuquerque City Council Committee of the Whole voted to advance the city operating budget committee substitute (AR 25‑1‑32) to the full council after several hours of debate and a set of contested amendments. The committee also considered a separate objectives resolution (R 25‑1‑53); the objectives measure received committee approval and will move to the May council meeting.

The committee substitute, which adjusts appropriations for the 2025–26 fiscal year that begins July 1, 2025, passed out of committee on a 7–2 vote. Committee members debated dozens of line-item reallocations and several policy-linked amendments that would have cut fees, reduced staff funding in the CAO’s office, or shifted recurring dollars among departments.

Why this matters: the committee’s actions determine what the full City Council will consider for final adoption. Several amendments would have reduced fees or removed funding for positions; others redirected lodging‑tax money to tourism and events tied to the Route 66 Centennial and restored one‑time funding for after‑school youth groups. One vote during the meeting preserved an $8 million appropriation intended for permanent supportive housing providers, a decision city staff said would affect roughly 596 households currently in PSH programs.

Most significant votes and outcomes

- Committee substitute (AR 25‑1‑32) — The committee accepted the committee substitute early in the meeting and later voted to send the amended substitute to the full council; outcome: due pass out of committee, 7–2.

- Amendment 1 (legal services reallocation; moved by Councilor Bassan) — Reallocated several departmental attorney budgets into the Office of Legal Services; outcome: passed unanimously.

- Amendment 2 (duplicate COLA cleanup) — Removed a duplicated 2% cost‑of‑living increase already included elsewhere in total compensation; outcome: passed unanimously.

- Amendment 3 (lodgers‑tax allocations / tourism and youth groups; moved by Councilor Bassan) — Shifted lodging‑tax money to fund tourism projects including the Route 66 and…