Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller gave his ninth State of the City Address to lay out an unconventional governing strategy for his historic third term, moving the city from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance. Mayor Keller is challenging city government to work differently by removing unnecessary barriers, expanding choices, sharing resources the city already has, and making government tangibly useful in people’s everyday lives. His goals include rebuilding Albuquerque’s ability to get things done, restoring the broadest sense of public safety, and reducing the friction, frustration, and everyday burdens people face.
Mayor Keller said his administration’s work still starts with safety, with public safety and homelessness remaining fundamental to his third-term agenda. APD will continue working to reduce crime, Albuquerque Community Safety will provide an alternative response to behavioral health and other nonviolent calls, and the Gateway System of Care will continue expanding pathways from the street to shelter, treatment and stable housing. The city will also take a stronger approach to fentanyl, addiction, and other factors driving homelessness while providing clear pathways to treatment and recovery and restoring shared public spaces for everyone.
Mayor Keller’s abundance agenda also focuses on making government less burdensome and everyday life easier. The city is working to shorten permitting timelines and eliminate unnecessary delays, expand housing choices, grow Albuquerque’s economy in emerging industries, and put vacant or underused city land and buildings to work for residents. Together, the initiatives aim to restore safety, rebuild Albuquerque’s ability to get things done, and prove that local government can reduce rather than add to the pressures people experience every day.
Watch the Mayor’s full remarks here.
At a time when our rights, freedoms, and futures are under threat, Democratic Mayors are showing the nation what real leadership looks like.
