City Councilor Dan Lewis said on Apr. 15 that the mayor’s statement about $35 million in cuts to Albuquerque’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget is misleading, arguing that spending will actually increase.
Lewis said the issue matters because residents deserve accurate information about how public money is spent and what it means for city services. He called for greater transparency and a plan to address future deficits.
“Albuquerque residents are being told that this budget cuts $35 million. That’s simply not accurate,” Lewis said. “The mayor didn’t cut $35 million—he moved it.”
According to city budget documents, revenue for the next fiscal year is expected to rise by about $21 million, with day-to-day operational spending also increasing by around $6 million. Core services such as public safety and general government operations are set to grow as well.
Lewis explained that the widely cited figure of “$35 million in cuts” comes from combining reductions, reallocations, and accounting changes across different parts of the city’s full budget. Much of this involves moving expenses from operating funds into capital budgets or adjusting internal transfers and enterprise funds like Transit and Solid Waste.
“That’s a shift,” Lewis said. “It’s like saying you reduced your household spending because your checking account went down, when you actually paid for things out of your savings.”
He also pointed out concerns about long-term financial stability, saying projections show a structural imbalance growing over time. “This budget is being described as ‘structurally balanced,’ but the City’s forecast shows spending exceeding revenue starting next year, with a gap approaching $70 million by FY30,” Lewis said. “That’s the real issue—not whether $35 million was ‘cut,’ because it wasn’t.”
Albuquerque operates under a council structure where members elect leaders annually and focus on goals such as approving budgets and maintaining a merit system according to its official website. The city has influenced New Mexico through its nine districts shaped by historical events like railroad development as reported in its timeline.
The city also serves as a cultural landmark through venues like the KiMo Theatre—a blend of Pueblo Deco architecture built in 1927—which fosters community gatherings according to its history page.
“For years, the mayor has increased taxes and fees while expanding government and spending nearly every dollar of new revenue,” Lewis said. “At the same time, residents are still facing serious challenges—from crime to homelessness—and they’re not seeing the results they were promised… The question is what happens next.”
