Mayor Release

Mayor Berry Submits Balanced,
Fiscally Responsible Budget

Public Safety, Economic Development, Homeless
Services, and Salary Increases Among Top
Priorities
Albuquerque- Today, Mayor Richard J. Berry presented a
balanced and fiscally responsible budget for Fiscal Year
2016 to City Councilors. The budget proposal allows the
city to continue to provide excellent services to the
community at an outstanding value to the taxpayer. The
general fund budget is proposed at $505 million for FY16,
representing less than 1% over the FY15 budget. The
FY16 Proposed Budget is centered on the following
priorities: Public Safety, Critical Infrastructure
Improvements, Economic Development/Job Creation,
Homeless Services, and a Fifth Consecutive Year of
Appropriations Targeted to Salary Increases for many City
Employees.
This budget is intentionally designed to bolster
opportunities and quality of life for all our citizens, while
making the City of Albuquerque a top notch organization
in which to build a successful career in public service,
said Mayor Richard J. Berry. This proposed budget is
structurally balanced, bolsters reserves by an additional
$1 million, and addresses the highest priority needs of
our community.
The current version of the budget features:
No tax increases, no pay cuts, and sufficient
funding for a 1% wage increase for transit drivers,

clerical, blue collar, and J-series employees. This
budget also includes a reserve equivalent to a 1%
pay increase for firefighters, the same 1% (not yet
negotiated) that was reserved in the FY/15
Approved Budget.
Public Safety- $4.7 million is added to the Police
budget aimed at efforts to implement and go
beyond the U.S. Department of Justice Settlement
Agreement. Areas of focus include recruitment,
crisis intervention, misconduct complaint
investigations, training, development of policies
and procedures, and community engagement and
oversight.
o $1.4 million for the Court Monitor
o $440,000 for Training
o $2.9 million is support staff, material, and
software to support the implementation of
changes
$1.7 million in funding for continuation of the
police longevity/retention pay program aimed at
keeping seasoned officers in the Albuquerque Police
Department.
No reductions in funding for Social Service
programs totaling $17.9 million from the General
Fund.
Funding for programs started under this
administration including: Heading Home, Homework
Diner, Running Start for Careers, and International
Baccalaureate.
New this year is funding for the Mission Graduate
run by United Way and funding for an Anti-Truancy
Initiative that will be matched by funds from APS.
Additional money to pay debt service on $9 million
of new bonds for street and median infrastructure

improvements.
Additional money to pay debt service on $6 million
of additional bonds for a new Library/Community
Center in the International District, a Westside
visitors center, and recreational facilities in the
East Gateway area. In FY/15 we added $2.6 million
for debt service on $36 million in bonds to be sold
this month. This addition increases the bond
amount from $36 million to $42 million.
Reserves are increased by $200 thousand for the
5th year in a row. The FY/16 budget now includes $1
million of reserves on top of the required $42
million (1/12th of appropriations).
One-time funding for the majority of cultural
events included in the current years budget.
With a new, state-of-the-art library open at Central
and Unser, funding for nearby Westgate and
Alamosa libraries has been repurposed within this
budget.
Continued funding ($1 million) for job creation
efforts in Economic Development.
No increase in the cost of Health Benefits to either
the City or the employees.
I would like to thank all of our staff and directors for their
contributions to this balanced and responsible budget
that provides tremendous value to taxpayers while
creating opportunities for a bright future for our
wonderful city and our residents, said Mayor Berry.

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Mayor Berry Submits Balanced,

Fiscally Responsible Budget

No tax increases, no pay cuts, and sufficient

funding for a 1% wage increase for transit drivers,

of new bonds for street and median infrastructure

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