District 5 City Councilor Dan Lewis said on Apr. 22 that Mayor Tim Keller’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget for the City of Albuquerque does not cut spending or services, but instead increases both revenue and expenditures. According to Lewis, city revenue is projected to rise from $873 million to $894 million, while spending will increase from $869.6 million to $875.5 million.
Lewis said this topic matters because claims of a significant budget cut have circulated publicly. He argued these claims are misleading and that most of the reported $35 million reduction is due to internal accounting changes such as fund reallocations and transfers between departments, rather than actual reductions in city services.
The councilor outlined that pay raises totaling about $15.3 million are funded in the proposal, with an additional $1.1 million set aside for recruitment and retention efforts. While 247 vacant positions are being removed from the roster, new roles are being added in some departments and overall spending continues to grow year over year.
Lewis explained that much of the so-called cut involves shifting money between operating budgets and capital projects within areas like Aviation or reducing internal transfers among enterprise funds; he said this means money is moved around but not eliminated entirely.
Homelessness-related spending was also highlighted by Lewis, who noted total expenditures for fiscal year 2026 were approximately $84.7 million—equating to about $28,600 per person based on a January point-in-time count of individuals experiencing homelessness.
He concluded his statement by questioning whether this pattern of growth is sustainable: “The mayor has built a larger, more expensive city government—but without the outcomes to justify it.”
The City of Albuquerque operates under a council structure where members elect leadership annually according to its official council history. The city’s government also sets goals and approves budgets as part of its responsibilities as described on its official website.
Albuquerque’s influence spans nine districts shaped by historical events such as railroad development according to the city’s timeline. The city has served as a cultural landmark through venues like the KiMo Theatre—which blends Pueblo Deco architecture with community entertainment since its construction in 1927—as detailed on its official page.
